Hormones
by lfbrox
Summary: Max, Logan and fellow transgenics resove hormone induced situations and end up in Acapulco. ML all the way. The way it's supposed to be. COMPLETE!
1. The hormoneloadedsoilderclub

****

Hormones

By: lfbrox

Rating: R (for this chapter)

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J . 

__

AN: Okay. As there are no new M/L stories out there I had to write one myself. And I think the 2 or 3 M/L shippers who are still coming to ff.net will appreciate it. And please review. I won't continue if there are no M/Lers out there to read. So here it goes. Max and Logan forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

****

Chapter 1: The hormone-loaded-soldier-club

__

Terminal City Headquarters:

(close to midnight)

"What do you mean. Girls? What girls?" Max asked in confusion.

"Well what do you think Max?" Alec replied with a grin on his face. "We're stuck in this fucking city like prisoners. No, on second thought, prisoners do get a little action now and then. We're guys Max. We need to work off a little tension once in a while." Alec finished looking around at the other guys who stood there nodding. Most of them though kept their eyes on the floor, embarrassed a little to ask Max for such a thing. But after all. She was the unofficial leader of Terminal City. She always knew what to do and with hers and Logans connections she always got things done. But this time she really wasn't sure what to do.

"So you're asking me to ship some hookers through the sewers so you guys can work off some tension?" she asked in disbelief, her voice raised and her head shaking. "How about you work off that tension by helping clean this dump up and make this place bearable to live in?"

"Easy for you to say Max", Alec spat, "You have your loverboy here in Terminal City. Always available – at your service."

Max was abut to reply but was silenced by Jesse – an older X5. "He's right Max. You have Logan around. We don't have anybody. For god's sake Max. If you haven't noticed, most of us are blood relatives and those who aren't are really not the kind of species I'd like to jump at – no offence Mole." He glanced from Max to Mole to make sure He'd stay unharmed in this discussion.

Max took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. She had no idea how to handle this. "Look guys. I have no clue what you want me to say or do. And I don't even pretend to know what and how you feel, but..." she stopped her speech after hearing Alec murmur something and the guys standing next to him agreeing quickly. She took another deep breath and rolled her eyes. "Okay. Let's get one thing straight here. This has nothing to do with me and Logan or the fact that he's staying here. You know we need him around here." At that she heard another round of "right", "Oh, yeah" and "whatever you have to tell yourself" from the guys in front of her.

"Cut that crap. It isn't all abut sex. We're in the middle of a fight here. We're imprisoned in this city. We can't get out. Everyday we have to fear they stop waiting and start attacking. We have a hell of a lot of problems here that need our attention. We're closer to being hunted and slayed down than to ever get outta here alive. This is serious. And you have nothing else in mind than to get laid. This is a war." Max ended her monologue – all out of words. She didn't know what else to say. She just hoped she convinced them.

"This might be a war Max", Jesse interrupted the silence, "but we are not fighting. We are soldiers but all we do is sit around, observe the situation, talk about plans, carrying supplies from on end of Terminal City to the other one or strolling around the sewers. We need some action Max. Now."

"Fine. Do what you need to do. I really don't want to know. I'm sure you can take care of yourself. Ahm, no. I mean. What I meant to say was that I think you can arrange things yourself. Just don't get yourselves in any trouble. And you gonna be in a world of hurt if you get anybody else in this city into trouble. Are we clear?" Max asked defeated. She knew there was nothing she could do or say to change their minds. But she was not going to play the pimp for them either. She turned around and left the room not wanting to hear anymore of male needs or it's being in their nature and they couldn't help it. 

After she left the guys gathered some chairs and some beers and sat down to create a plan to get themselves some action.

***********

Max walked along the dark and dirty streets of Terminal City that lead from the Headquarters to the barracks where they all lived. She breathed in the cold and crisp air and enjoyed the silence. This was one of the things she lived for now. A little peace. Some time for herself when she didn't need to make decisions. Some time when she didn't need to function, didn't need to be strong and have the answers for everything. She stood and looked up into the sky. There were no stars, just dark clouds. She closed her eyes for a second and inhaled deeply, trying to get rid of that tension. God, how she just missed her old life.

She would just jump her baby and ride it all night. (AN: we're talking about her motorcycle her.) She opened her eyes again and kept walking towards the barrack to get some rest. She thought about going to her crib and just bunk down and sleep a little. She wasn't sure if she should go to Logan's place. She wasn't sure she could stand to see another one of the male gender tonight, the memories of her little discussion with the hormone-loaded-soldier-club a little while ago still ringing in her ears. 

As she reached her door she smiled to herself, shook her head and made her way to Logans place. **_//I need to convince myself that there are decent guys out there who have other things in their head besides sex. Or at least one decent guy. Mine.//_** she thought smiling while knocking lightly at Logans door.

"It's open", Logan yelled from the inside. She opened the door and saw him sitting on his makeshift desk working on his laptop. She stepped in, closed the door and locked it behind her. Then she walked over to him and placed a little kiss on his cheek before falling backwards on his bed letting out a sigh of both defeat and relief. 

"A hard day at work, hun?" Logan asked shutting down his computer and turning around to look at her. She lay on his bed with closed eyes looking tired and spent. 

"You could say that", she answered absentmindedly, still not able to get the sex discussion out of her head. Were they right? Didn't she understand them because she had Logan? True. She and Logan had been quite "busy" since the virus was gone. But if the virus were still there she wouldn't be climbing the walls in need for sex either. Maybe it really is a guy-thing. 

Logan watched her, waiting for her to tell him what was on her mind. As she didn't seem to start talking anytime soon he got up from his chair and lay down next to her on the bed. He reached over to her and put his hand on her flat stomach just as she opened her eyes and surprised him by saying: "What is it with you guy and sex anyways?"

Logan pulled his hand back immediately. "Sorry Max. I didn't mean to. I mean this wasn't about sex. Really." 

Max looked up at Logan who sat up next to her holding his hands up like in surrender. Seeing the shocked expression on his face made Max laugh. The look of shock on his face turned into irritation which made Max laugh even harder. He was just so cute. Always thinking it's his fault when something is wrong with me. She stopped laughing and reached out and took his hand and put it back on her stomach, gently stroking his hand. Now he looked helpless – completely lost. Max smiled – completely convinced that there are decent guys out there – at least she had one. Realizing that she fell in love with him all over again she tucked on his shirt, wanting him to lay down next to her. 

He complied still unsure what was going on. Max rolled to her side and placed her head on his shoulder, swung her arm around his chest and her leg over his right thigh. She gently stroke his chest feeling his arms wrap around her waist. Then she figured she owed him an explanation. "Sorry sweetie. I didn't mean you. It's just that I had a very disturbing discussion with Alec and some other X's and a few nomlies." Max explained watching her own hand move over his muscular chest. 

"A discussion about sex?" Logan carefully asked. 

"Yeah. Looks like my fellow transgenic brothers are in desperate need of some kind of physical action than just fighting."

"Oh", Logan responded after realizing what she talked about and now understanding her comment from earlier. It really wasn't about him wanting sex from her. It was about her brothers wanted sex.

"Yeah, Oh. One would think a grown up human, well, mostly human being can survive 3 month without getting it on – but oh was I wrong. They honestly wanted me to get them some girls. God, sometimes I just hate that job", Max said kicking off her boots and cuddled even closer while slipping her hand under his shirt to feel his soft and warm skin. 

Logan chuckled lightly: "Said she who is currently seducing her boyfriend." That remark earned him a little kick from Max. "Sorry Max. But seriously: what are you going to do about that?"

"Do? What can I do? I'm doing nothing. I told them to handle that themselves. I'm not a pimp." She said getting angry again. Logan kissed the top of her head and gently stroke her back.

"Hey, no problem then. Relax. If you want me to I'll keep an eye on them so they don't fuck this up", he said laughing at his own joke. 

"Fuck this up, huh?", Max said smiling. "Let's hope they do so we can go back to normal." She closed her eyes again feeling thoroughly relaxed in his arms. They lay like that for a few minutes – totally content to just be together before they almost simultaneously had to yawn. They reluctantly untangled to rid themselves of their cloth, turn off the light and snuggle under the covers. His mouth found hers in the dark and they kissed gently. Even though her body felt so deliciously inviting pressed naked against his, he decided that being a guy tonight might not be the smartest thing to do. So his kissed her forehead and they said good night. 

She felt his increased heartbeat and knew he was holding himself back. She smiled against his chest and cuddled closer. But she was grateful. She was tired and needed some sleep badly. And it was nice to know that they were more than just about sex. Way more. Max thought while drifting off in a peaceful sleep where everything was better and she and Logan could live a normal life in this broken and fucked up world. 

End of Chapter 1

__

AN: So what do you think?? R+R. Please. And if you have suggestion – bring em on. But do it quick before I write the next chapter so I can go the way you want me to. Peace out. 

Lfbrox


	2. Plans, Plans, Plans

****

Hormones

By: lfbrox

Rating: R (for this chapter)

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J . 

__

AN: Wow. Thanks for your reviews. Didn't know there are so much of you still out there. Thanks a lot. So I don't wanne waste time and present you the second chapter right away as muse kissed me yesterday. I can't promise to have Chapter 3 up so soon but he – maybe you keep me inspired. Enjoy and don't forget to review.

****

Chapter 2: Plans, Plans, Plans

__

Logans crib: 

(the next morning)

Logan woke up the next morning alone in his bed. He didn't wake when Max got up and left a couple of hours ago. He was up late watching Max sleep and wasn't able to tear his eyes away from the sleeping beauty cuddled up next to him. He thought about what she had said earlier. That it's not all about sex. Even though he knew that she wasn't talking about them he still felt a little guilty. Since the virus was gone and they finally admitted how they really felt for one another they haven't had one romantic dinner. Not one game of chess or just one evening drinking a glass of wine and talk all night. 

As soon as she walked in the door they practically pounced at each other, ripped off cloth and tumbled into bed or what ever was the closest thing to support them. After one or two rounds of wild, passionate and hard lovemaking they would go one or two more rounds of gentle and soft and caring but mostly those ended up just as urgent, hard and fast as the previous ones. There wasn't one night when she was over at his place that they didn't have sex. In fact this was the first time she came over after work when they just cuddled up and slept. 

And not because he didn't want to. He wanted to and he could tell that she noticed too that he was just holding it back. What was wrong with him? He wasn't 17 anymore and they weren't leading a normal and carefree life. Logan sat up in bed and was intent to ask Max on a date this evening. Music, candle light, wine and dinner. They weren't just about sex. And he had to prove that to Max. He got up and got dressed. **_//That's a plan. But that's tonight. Let's worry about the day. I need to find Alec and see how close they are to get some action.//_** He thought while exiting his room and walk to the Headquarters to look for Alec.

********

__

Outside the Headquarters:

"Hey. Watch out", Logan yelled as he bumped into Alec who rushed out of the Headquarters. 

"Oh, sorry man. Didn't see you. Talk to you later. Gotta go." Alec quickly said and rushed away. But Logan followed him asking him to wait.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Logan asked once he caught up with Alec.

"Nowhere. I just need to take care of some things", Alec said not wanting to discuss his plans with Logan. 

"What kind of things?" Logan asked with a grin. Alec saw him grin and stopped rushing. He turned to Logan and exhaled loudly: "She told you, didn't she?" He asked.

"Who told me what?" Logan teased now grinning even bigger at Alec's discomfort. 

"Look. Don't even start. And wipe that grin off your face. We both know why you run around for the last couple of weeks grinning like an idiot. Out of all people here you should understand what we need", Alec said slightly annoyed. 

"Why me?" Logan asked.

"Jesus. For one because you're a guy and secondly you are the only guy around here getting laid. So back off. I got things to do", Alec said while starting to walk towards the abandoned building across the barracks. Logan followed him. Once there Alec stopped and turned around to face Logan. "What? Why are you following me? This is none of your business so get lost." Alec hissed at Logan. 

"Well it is my business if you do something stupid and put me and everybody else in Terminal City in danger. Besides. I might be able to help." Logan stated not moving an inch. Alec gave up. He shrugged his shoulders and stepped inside where the other guys waited for him. Logan entered the building after Alec and closed the door. When the other guys saw Logan they let out angry groans and rolled their eyes.

"What the hell. Why did you bring the bosses lapdog with you?" Jesse asked confused.

"Hey. I'm not Max lapdog. I'm just here to help and make sure everything goes well", Logan said defensively. 

"Yeah right. And Max has absolutely nothing to do with that", Mole remarked sarcastically. 

"Right", Logan answered just as sarcastically and grabbed a chair and joined the circle the guys sat in. **_//How ridiculous. What is this the sexual anonymous?//_** He sat down and grinned at his own mental joke. 

"What's so funny Cale? Why don't you share your thoughts with us?" Jesse asked clearly annoyed at Logans presence and the grin on his face. 

"Nothing. Just ignore me and go ahead," Logan replied trying hard not to laugh at the picture of 10 guys sitting around making plans about how to get some horizontal action. 

The guys just glared at him and did their best to ignore Logan. They sat around and talked for half an hour about whether they leave Terminal City or invite some "girls" over. Logan just sat there and listened – trying hard to hide his amusement. After they decided that it's better to leave Terminal City instead of bringing someone in they discussed how they would get out and in Terminal City undetected. The nomlies amongst them complained that they could not just walk around Seattle trying to pick up some girl - so the normal looking transgenics promised to bring someone in for them. That settled they searched the sewer system for possible routes to get out. After another hour they finally chose a route and everybody smiled and nodded in agreement. That was the plan. As they all got up satisfied with their plan Logan finally spoke up for the first time. 

"Aren't you forgetting something here?" He asked loudly so everybody could hear him. The room grew silent and before anybody could make a move or say a word Logan continued. "You can't just walk out of the sewers and hit a bar. Not all 7 of you at the same time. And even if you go in groups of two or everybody alone – it's dangerous. An informant of mine told me that there are constant check ups in bars and public places. They check ID's and the back of the neck. How you gonna handle that? And what if they have girls waiting just for you to snap your neck at a point when you're not thinking coherently. And what.....", Logan wanted to continue but was interrupted by Alec.

"Fine. So this is not the best plan. But what are we supposed to do? This is as good as it gets. Or do you have a better plan?" he challenged Logan. 

"I don't know. Maybe" Logan mused.

"Then spill it or shut the fuck up", Jesse spat in Logans direction. 

"I need to think about it. I tell you when I got something. Just do not go with this plan." Logan replied not sure if he did the right thing by helping them. But he knew that the plan they had would fail and he could not let them run into a trap. He said he'd tell Alec as soon as he thought of something better and left the building walking back to his place. **_//Great. Now I'm the pimp. Better not let Max know what I'm doing. Nothing better to ruin a romantic evening then to tell your girlfriend you've become a pimp.//_** he thought and entered his place and turned his computer on to see what he could do.

**********

__

At the infirmary:

"What do you mean 5 pregnancies? How did that happen?", Max asked in disbelief. There she thought she and Logan were the only people who had sex in Terminal City and the others just craving for it. Now 2 X4's and 3 nomlies were pregnant. 

"Well Max. The natural way of course", Sam Carr answered. He agreed to come into Terminal City and check on the sick transgenics 3 times a week. The police and the military force outside agreed to give him free access to Terminal City as the government wanted to make sure the trapped freaks did not have any contagious diseases that they could spread on the outside. 

"God. What is it lately?" Max sighed. 

"What do you mean?" Sam asked confused.

"Nothing. So what do we do now?", Max asked. No need to fill Sam in on the sexual needs of some of the Terminal City inhabitants. 

"I don't know. I'm no expert when it comes to transgenical reproduction. But I'm convinced that it's not the best thing to have babies her in Terminal City. The contamination here is to strong and if the babies are no transgenics then you'll have a problem here", Sam honestly replied. He did not know what would or could happen but he knew it wasn't good.

"Tell me about it. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens", Max answered tiredly. As if everything wasn't bad enough the way it was. Now she had to worry about having babies at Terminal City. She felt weak and defeated. 

"Just make sure there won't be more pregnancies around here until we figure out how to deal with that. I bring a load of condoms and stuff in. Make sure they use them. I'll be back tomorrow." With that he turned around and packed his supplies and left, leaving Max with her thoughts. 

*********

__

Logans place:

Logan was sitting at his laptop trying to figure out how to get those guys out of Terminal City and save back inside without them being detected. There were just 7 guys but he guessed that once the word was out there would be plenty more. Jesus. As if they had no other problems he thought when he heard the door open and saw Max step in. 

"Here you are. I've been looking all over the damn place for you", Max said sitting down on his lap and hugging him tight.

"What's wrong baby? You seem exhausted", he softly said hugging her back and placing little kisses on her neck. Max lifted her head to look him in the eyes and sighed deeply before starting to speak. 

"We have 5 cases of pregnancy. No idea if the babies are going to be normal or not. Sam comes back tomorrow to bring a truckload of condoms in tomorrow. And I of course have to make sure that they use them. God Logan. What's going on her. Since when did Terminal City turn into an amusement park. I don't get it and I'm so sick of this." She explained sounding defeated and burying her head back into Logans shoulder. He gently caressed her back. He was surprised and he didn't know what to say. He could tell that Max had no idea what to do so he wasn't going to ask her. 

"We'll find a way to deal with this. We just need to make sure they use the condoms." He just said.

"And how do we make sure they use them. Put one under each pillow with instructions. We're not in a fucking hotel. God. I don't know." She said getting up and pacing around his little crib. 

"Well. I guess as Alec and his friends are so eager when it comes to sex we just have them distribute the condoms around Terminal City and have little sex-talks with them." Logan thought out loud.

"And why would Alec and the rest of his gang do that?" Max stated.

"Well", Logan started, shifting uncomfortable in his chair, "I guess they owe me a favor or two." 

"And why is that if I may ask", Max asked not sure if she wanted to know the answer to that question because she already had a slight idea what it would be.

"I went to their little conference today and it turned out that their plan sucked and that they would definitely get killed, captured or even worse. So I told them not to do anything and that I would think of something save – for them and us." He finished waiting for an answer and expected something unpleasant. 

"Right. How could I forget. You're just a guy yourself", she answered defeated. Why did she expect any help after all. Everything turned sideward. Why not this as well. She's alone on the front again. Maybe always has been. She turned to walk out of the door when Logan stopped her and turned her around so he could look into her eyes.

"Max. It's not like that. You know I'm not like that. But they are really going to do it. And as we cannot stop them I figured we should at least make sure they don't get hurt on get other people hurt in the process. You know I care about you. You know I love you. It's not about sex – or at least not just about sex. I just thought about it this morning. We really were very physical since the virus is gone. But there is more to us. Way more", he pleaded. He didn't want her to feel alone and hurt. 

She leaned into his embrace and closed her eyes. "I know Logan. I'm sorry. I just don't know why all we talk about right now is sex. Like we had no other worries. I know we're more than just about sex. I'm sorry and I love you too", she softly said against his chest. He hugged her tight and was relieved that she wasn't mad at him. 

After 2 minutes just hugging Max broke the embrace. "Great we talked about it. But what is your plan for them?" She asked staring in his eyes.

"Well I haven't figured that out yet. But I'll think about it. And when Sam arrives tomorrow I will have figured something out and Alec and Co. can go on their safe-sex mission in Terminal City." She just smiled at him gave him a quick kiss on his lips and opened the door. "I guess I will let you work on that now", she stepped outside and closed the door. Logan took a deep breath. That worked better than he imagined, he thought when he heard Max outside of the door: "Pimp!" He laughed and sat back down staring at his computer screen not sure what he was looking for. 

End of Chapter 2

__

AN: Here you go. Hope you liked it. I've started the next Chapter already but to be honest it sucks. So I need a little more time to go over it again. So please review. Love it? Hate it? Have ideas? Let me know. Take care.

lfbrox


	3. Action?

****

Hormones

By: lfbrox

Rating: R (for this chapter)

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J . 

__

AN: Wow. Thank you so much for all your reviews. There are really more M/L shippers out there than I thought. And thanks for your ideas. Actually I planned on putting Max into heat. But after reading Episode 9 of VS3 I damned myself for not doing it earlier. But well. I might still do it. 

And yes Havok, I am indeed female. But don't worry. I don't plan on portraying the guys like they are animals. Just read this chapter. And yes. We still are your fans and hope you come back soon. You have some unfinished fics to finish mister. (I assume you are male). 

****

Chapter 3: 

__

The abandoned building:

(the next morning)

Logan entered the abandoned building where Alec, Jesse, Mole and the rest of the gang were waiting for him. He thought about the plan all night and talked to a few people and finally he came up with an idea. He talked to Max about it and after she told him to get this shit over with and told him to do whatever he had to do he left to tell the guys – of course after promising Max never ever to talk about this again. 

"Logan. The man. What do you have for us buddy?", Alec welcomed Logan and grabbed a chair for him. Logan nodded his hello and sat down. They all looked at Logan in excitement, eager to hear what plan he had come up with.

"Okay. As you know they let Dr. Sam Carr in 3 times a week. He's coming today too to bring in some condoms – I guess you heard about the pregnancies", Logan started.

"Yeah, yeah we heard about it. What about the plan", Jesse answered impatiently. 

"Well, before I tell you, you have to promise to do me a favor for this", Logan continued. And after they all reluctantly nodded their agreement he went on. "Well you will have to distribute the condoms and teach safe-sex to your fellow transgenics – today." He stopped and waited for a reaction. After some complaints they all agreed to do it in desperate need to hear the plan.

"Okay. Then here goes the plan. Sam Carr's truck is not being searched through when he goes out because the guards fear that he might carry something contagious. So when he leaves one of you can hide underneath his medical equipment. But only one at a time. Once in Seattle he's gonna drop you off at Foogle Towers. You carefully make it up to my old penthouse. They stopped observing it as they know I'm in here with you. But still. Be careful. There Sketchy has arranged things."

"Meaning?", Alec asked in shock after hearing Sketchy's name.

"Well. Some girl will be waiting there. That's all I know and all I wanne know. Then you will wait there until Sam Carr drives back into Terminal City. He's gonna pick you up at my old place and you come back. Don't do anything stupid. You'll stay put there until Sam Carr picks you up. No trips to a bar or elsewhere. Are we clear??" Logan asked – a little disgusted that he couldn't think of a way they could just hook up with girls the normal way and instead provide them with hookers. But that was the safest way. They could not risk any exposure. 

"We're clear!!" they answered in unison. 

"So who's gonna be the first one today?" Jesse asked.

"And what about us?", Mole asked. Logan looked irritated. Damn he had forgotten about Mole and his kind.

"Well. You figure out who goes first. And Mole. I think of something. I just need a little more time." Logan answered and got up. "By the way. Sam is gonna be here in an hour. So you figure out who rides with him and the rest of you come and pick up the condoms for distribution. See you in front of the headquarters in an hour then." He left the building still feeling disgusted. It was early in the morning but he felt like a shower and a drink. But what the hell. He made his way to the Headquarters.

*********

__

Headquarters:

"Hey pimp", Max welcomed Logan at the Headquarters.

"Don't start. I feel dirty enough already", Logan sighed plopping in a chair next to Max.

"Hey. Don't complain. It was your idea. And I really don't wanne hear about your plan for them. Just tell me that they agreed to help with our safe-sex campaign", Max said smiling. She really didn't want to hear about the plan. But she knew that eventually she had to. Judging by the look on Logans face it was not a good plan and he seemed to be desperate to talk about it. But she decided to let him sweat about it a little longer. 

"Yeah. They agreed to do it. But if you don't wanne know about the plan then stay away from Sam and the guys", he said getting up and pouring himself and Max some coffee. He walked back over to her and handed her a cup and sat back down. He took a sip took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair looking at nothing in particular. Max studied his face and tried to figure out what he was thinking. Suddenly he seemed to snap out of his daydreaming and he looked at Max. "So what are you doing tonight?" He asked. With all that was going on he totally forgot about the romantic evening he wanted to spent with Max. 

"Nothing special. Why?" Max answered wondering what he was up to.

"I just thought we could have dinner together. You know: a Cale culinary miracle, some pre-pulse wine and a nice game of chess", he said with a smile.

"That sounds wonderful Logan", Max face lit up and she gave him a huge smile. "But what's the occasion?"

"Do I need an occasion to spent a nice evening with my beautiful girlfriend?", he asked with a wicked grin on his face. Max just returned his smile and he got up kissed her on the cheek and walked outside where Sam Carr was about to arrive any minute.

*******

__

Outside the Headquarters:

Logan walked out just as he saw Dr. Sam Carrs truck arrive. He turned around and looked at the abandoned building to see if Alec and the other guys were already coming. He didn't see them yet and he was glad because he really wanted to talk to Sam alone for a minute. Sam parked the car and stepped out to greet Logan. 

"Logan. So good to see you. How is everything?" Sam shook Logans hand.

"Sam. Hello. And thanks. Everything is good. I mean, given the givens." Logan answered. Sam just nodded his head in reply. "But about the thing we talked on the phone," Logan started again slightly embarrassed to talk about it with Sam, "are you positive that they won't search your truck?"

"Logan. I'm positive. But I told you that about a hundred times", Sam confirmed Logan but he sensed that something was wrong. "So what's bothering you about this plan besides the way in and out of Terminal City?" Sam asked sensing Logans discomfort. 

"I don't know Sam. I just don't feel too good about that. I know they can't just go to a bar and pick up a girl in the regular way. That'd be too dangerous. But the way we planned it just feels wrong." Logan honestly shared his concern with Sam hoping he would know a better way. 

"I know Logan. But if that is what the guys want than you shouldn't give yourself a hard time about it. Let's just wait and see how it goes", he padded Logans shoulder and unlocked the back of the truck and got the box of condoms out and handed them to Logan. Then he grabbed his medical supplies and some equipment. "I'm going to check on the pregnancies in the infirmary. Make sure those are used" he said pointing at the box and turned around towards the infirmary. "I'll be leaving in an hour. Make sure your guy is here."

Logan nodded and opened the box. There were about 250 condoms in various colors and sizes. He turned around to go get the guys when he saw them walking towards him. 

"Hey Logan", Alec greeted him. "All clear for my trip?"

"Oh. So you're the one to go first. Congrats. Dr. Carr will be here in an hour", Logan answered shoving the box to Alec, "in the meantime make yourself useful and hand those out." Alec handed out some to the rest of the guys and they spread out to distribute them. 

Satisfied that everything worked out and Alec and the rest of them kept their word he walked to the makeshift mess hall to get the stuff he needed for his dinner with Max tonight.

********

__

The Barracks:

"Hey Alec", Joshua greeted Alec in the hallway of the barracks. 

"Hey Josh. What's up?" Alec greeted him and quickly closed the box of condoms before Joshua could ask questions he didn't want to answer.

"What you got there?" Joshua asked pointing at the box in Alecs hand. Alec swore under his breath. He hadn't closed it quick enough.

"Nothing for you, big fella." Alec quickly answered. "And I really need to get going. See you later." He waved goodbye and walked further down the hallway leaving a confused Joshua. Then a X4 stepped out of one of the rooms and Alec stopped him.

"Hey. Guess you've heard about the pregnancies. We can't afford it for that to happen again," Alec explained and handed him 2 condoms, "So make sure you use them." The X4 nodded and walked back into his room to store them securely. `Lucky you` Alec thought as he watched the X4 go. He could easily hook up with one of the X3's, 2's and first X-Series. Their were no blood relatives. But the X5 series was a mixture of all the best parts of the former X's and therefore blood relatives. That made them better than any other X series but impossible to find a mate in TC.

He wanted to proceed further when Joshua's voice stopped him. "Alec. What's in the box. Why can't Joshua see?"

Alec stopped in his tracks breathed deeply and turned around to face Joshua. This time not bothering to close the box. "Sorry Josh. It's just something that you don't need. But some of the others do. So we only give it to them." Alec explained. 

"But maybe I do need them too", Joshua answered innocently. "Fine. Here you have one", Alec said and handed him one.

"So what do I do with it", Joshua asked looking at the little green plastic thing Alec just gave him. He smelled at it and licked at it and turned it from one side to the other. Alec hid his laughter and glanced at his watch. He only had 10 more minutes before he had to meet Sam Carr outside of the Headquarters. So he only said, "Go and ask Logan or Max. I really need to go now. But they'll be happy to explain you what this is for." Then he turned and walked outside to get to the truck on time. Satisfied he grinned to himself. Let Logan and Max sweat a little too. Too bad he was going to miss the sex talk Max and Logan will have with Joshua but he had better things to do. 

*******

__

Outside the Headquarters:

When Alec arrived Sam Carr was already there talking to Logan. They looked up when they saw Alec approach.

"So. Everybody ready to go?" Alec asked cheerfully.

"Sure. Get in the truck and cover yourself up with the blankets there", Sam said to Alec then turned to Logan, "you make sure everything works fine in here. I take care of the rest on the outside. And don't worry. I'll bring him back on my next visit." With that he got in the car and drove off towards the gate where he passed without a problem.

Logan watched the gates close and Sam drive away. He was relieved everything went so well but still felt a little uncomfortable considering what was going to happen later. He just hoped Sketchy wouldn't mess this up. He turned and walked over to his crib to prepare the evening.

**********

__

Foogle Towers:

(late afternoon)

Dr. Sam Carr stopped his truck in front of the towers. He looked in every direction up and down the streets and then signaled Alec that they arrived and it was all clear. Alec climbed into the passenger seat next to Sam Carr and checked the streets and the building again.

"Looks like I'm clear. So thanks again doc. See you tomorrow. Same time, same place." Alec smiled at Sam and extended a hand. Sam took his hand and glared at Alec one last time, "Be careful. And stay at the penthouse", he warned him again then he started the engine and Alec opened the door to get out. Before he could close the door Sam called "Have fun", after him. Alec grinned widely and assured him that he definitely will have fun and rushed into the building. He waited till Sam took off and headed for the stairs. 

Once upstairs at Logans apartment he called for Sketchy. He walked around looking for someone or something when he found a note on the kitchen counter.

__

Hey you,

make yourself at home. There is wine and snacks in the fridge and some candles and stuff in the box on the counter. The girl – Cecile – will be here at around 8. You have 4 hours. She'll leave at midnight. Enjoy.

Sketchy

Alec crumbled the note and went over to the fridge. He grabbed a beer and a sandwich and laid down on the couch. He still had 3 hours left and he decided to rest a little. God knew he needed his strength tonight.

*********

__

Logans crib at TC:

7 p.m.

Logan looked around the place. He set up candles everywhere. Had some low music in the background. He'd set the table and the food was ready and was waiting in a box to keep it from getting cold. The wine was in a bucked with ice to keep it from getting warm. He had showered and even shaved and wore a black tight T-shirt and some khaki cargo pants. Everything was perfect. Now all that was missing was Max but she was scheduled to arrive any second. He just adjusted the volume of the music and lit the last few candles when he heard a knock on the door. He smiled and went to open the door. But his sexy smile vanished when he had opened the door and saw Joshua standing there.

"Joshua? What are you doing here?" Logan asked hectically. As much as he liked him. A romantic evening with Max in his mind did so not involve Joshua. 

"Joshua and Logan need to talk", Joshua muttered as he walked inside Logans crib and sat down on the nicely decorated table. Logan followed not bothering to close the door as he was determined to gently throw Joshua out as soon as possible.

"Joshua. This isn't a very good moment right now – as you can see. Max is gonna be over any second and we've planned on spending a nice evening together. Just the two of us. You know. So can this wait until tomorrow morning?" Logan asked hoping it was nothing major and Joshua would just leave. 

"No. Joshua needs to know now." Joshua said and Logan sat down on the chair next to him. Maybe he can settle this before Max arrives. He took a deep breath and gestured for Joshua to start telling him what he wanted. Just as Joshua started to speak Max appeared in the door. 

"Hey boys. I'm sorry. I didn't want to interrupt such a romantic moment. Did I get my nights mixed up? I figured it was my turn tonight" Max said with a wide grin and entered the room. 

Logan just glared at her and cleared his throat. "Very funny. Joshua was just about to leave. Right?" he rose from his chair and nodded at Joshua who remained seated. 

"Hey little fella. Joshua got a question for Logan and you. Alec told me you answer it." Joshua said looking at Max. At the mentioning of Alec's name Max and Logan looked at each other. Logan took a deep breath and gestured Max to sit down on the chair he previously sat in and he closed the door and sat down on the bed.

"What is it big fella?" Max asked.

Joshua reached in his pocket and showed them the condom Alec gave him. Max and Logan exchanged knowing glances and waited for the inevitable question. "Alec gave this to me. What is it and what does it do? And why did Alec say that I don't need it?" Joshua finally asked and leaned back waiting for an answer. 

Max and Logan just sat there. Looking from one another to Joshua and back. Each one waited for the other one to start. As Logan didn't seem to start talking Max decided that she will just tell him and then go on with the evening as planned. "Well, big fella. This is a condom. And people use it when they have sex so the girl won't get pregnant and has a baby." Max finished hoping that was enough for him.

Joshua just looked at the little pack in his hand and then back to Max and Logan. "So how does it work?" he asked. Logan coughed a little and looked at Max with pleading eyes for her to explain it to Joshua. 

"Well", Max started shifting uncomfortable in her chair, "you carefully rip the wrapping open. And then you put it...ahm....well. You know." Max finished gesturing her head down Joshuas body, then nodded her head in that direction and looked back up to Joshua. "You know. You put it on and the girl and you are save." She ended her explanations and looked at Joshua hoping he understood. 

"Oh", was all Joshua said. He looked from Max to Logan who just smiled and nodded at him. Then he got up. So did Max and Logan. "Thank you little fella."

"No problem big fella", she hugged him and lead him to the door. Once he was outside she closed the door, locked it and leaned against it with her back. ""Wow. That was...."

"Interesting", Logan finished for her. "Sorry Max. I wasn't much of a help here. But this is so not something I want to talk about with Joshua."

"Tell me about it", Max said took off her jacket and sat down on the table. "So what's for dinner?"

*********

__

Foogle Towers:

8 pm

After taking a shower and putting on some clean cloth Alec lit some candles opened a bottle of wine and waited for Cecile to arrive. He walked around the penthouse. Sketchy must have cleaned up the place. No more glass and shot up stuff was on the floor. He strolled into the computer room which was now empty besides a book-rack. He picked some books up. Chemistry, biology, physics, history. `Boring, boring. Lame. Yep. That's Logan´ Alec thought. Then he found an old leather wrapped book. He picked it up and untied the bow around it. He opened it and flipped through the pages. He recognized Logans handwriting that filled almost all of the pages. He knew that it was probably private and not for him to read but he was too curious to know what a boring and lame guy like Logan could possibly write. So he started reading somewhere in the middle.

__

Someone once told me that a man needs a purpose in life.

That he needs to be strong, independent and heroic.

I've never considered myself being such a man. 

God knows I've been told so many times that I'm not such a man.

I was a rich, lazy and spoiled guy with too much time and too little to do.

The alter ego I created was a sad attempt to give my life some sense.

But instead of a purpose in life or some sense I became crippled.

Half a person. Half a man. 

So far away from being strong, independent and heroic. 

My life so far away from making any sense at all.

Until there was you.

For the first time I had a reason to get up in the morning.

For the first time I had a reason to make this world a better place.

For it had you in it.

My savior. My angel. My life.

Your believe and trust in me made me strong.

The way you see me and not my disability made me independent.

Your unconditional love, your fire and passion made me heroic.

You let me love you back with all my heart, which makes me happy.

Your love for me shows in everything that you do and that makes me proud.

You would give your life for mine – and that makes me scared.

I cannot touch you or hold you when you're down, which makes me sad.

But after all that we've been through let's me believe in us– gives me hope. 

You made me feel all those things – and that makes me a man. Your man. 

I wish one day I can tell you and show you just how grateful I am for all that.

I wish one day I will be able to tell you all those things. 

Tell you how much you changed my life.

Tell you how much I thank you for it.

Tell you how much I love you.

Logan

Alec closed the book. He put it back in the shelf and walked over to the window to look over the broken city. He didn't know what it was but what he just read confused him, made him think. Then he heard the door open. He turned around and faced a tall blonde girl with high heels, a very short skirt and a shirt with feathers. She wore lots of make up and chewed franticly on her gum. Not a girl he would hit on in a bar but hey, he was a guy after all.

"Hey. Cecile, right?" Alec asked. As the girl nodded he walked over to her. "I'm Alec. Welcome. Would you like a glass of wine?" He said walking towards the kitchen counter to get the wine and the glasses.

"Sure. Why not." The girl answered in a very high pitched voice. Alec grimaced at her quieky voice and led them to the couch. He poured two glasses and gave her one. He held his glass up and she touched it with hers. Alec drowned the glass in on gulp and poured himself some more. He didn't know what it was but this didn't feel right. 

*********

__

Logans crib at TC:

After a filling dinner and an entertaining discussion about the latest events Max and Logan sat in front of a heated chess game. Logan had really gotten better and Max had to concentrate on her moves. But Max could see that Logan wasn't as concentrated and focused as she was. He checked his watch quite frequently and more than once she caught him with his thoughts elsewhere. So she ended the game quickly. But he didn't seem to mind that he'd lost. She walked over and sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms came around her waist and he looked up into her questioning eyes.

"Okay Logan. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" she asked gently stroking the hair on his neck. "Nothing", was Logans only reply as he slowly stroke her back up and down trying to act like everything was okay.

"Logan. I can see that something is on your mind. Tell me."

"It's not important Max. Besides. I promised you not to bother you with it." Logan answered.

Max took a deep breath. She so didn't want to talk about it but she knew that he needed to. "I know I told you I don't wanne hear about it. But it seems to worry you so go ahead. Spill it."

"Okay. If you insist", Logan answered relieved. 

*********

__

at the same time at Foogle Towers:

After trying for 45 minutes to start a conversation with Cecile Alec gave it up. This woman was indeed the dumbest thing he had ever encountered. He really didn't know what else to talk about. He opened another bottle of wine trying to keep himself busy so he didn't have to talk to her. He poured the wine and sat back down next to her.

"So, Cecile. Do you want something to eat?" Alec asked.

"No", she answered clearly annoyed. "You know that you still have to pay me even if we don't have sex, right?"

"Right." Alec answered. But sex with her was the last thing he wanted right now. Talking about guys and hormones. But even he wasn't so dense. He needed to get her out of here. He went back into the kitchen and returned with 200$ which he handed her and she eagerly stored in her bra after getting up.

"Thank you Cecile", Alec said shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. "But this isn't going to work out here, okay."

"No problem. Call me when you changed your mind." She grabbed her purse and left the penthouse.

Alec breathed a sigh of relief grabbed the bottle of wine from the couch table and went into Logans bedroom. He laid down and stared out of the window into the dark. He had no idea what just happened. He never refused a pretty girl. Maybe it was because he had to pay her. He never had to pay for it. There were always plenty of girls available. Maybe that was it. 

Then suddenly he had to think about Logans poem he wrote about Max. Logan really loved her. After thinking about it for a while he got up and walked over to the former computer room. He took Logans poetry book and walked back into the bedroom.

**********

__

AN: There you go. I don't know if I like this chapter very much. But after all: the condoms have been distributed, Alec is not a male sex junky and Max and Logan have the rest of the evening alone. Possibilities ahead. But as you know me I probably spoil them all for them. But hey. My 3rd chapter and not even close to smut writing. I'm getting better. Please R+R. Can't wait to hear from you.


	4. Poetry and fights

**Hormones**

  


By: lfbrox

Rating: R (for this chapter)

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J. 

  


  


_AN: Sorry guys it took so long. Lot's of things to do and lot's of trouble with my computer. So I got a new one and a new provider – so I'm back again. I totally forgot where I wanted to go with this story. Stupid alcohol. Kills all of your brain cells. But so what. _

  


_To get back into the story I re-read the first 3 chapters and realized something scary. I seem to have a thing with Joshua in combination with condoms. In limited times I also have him in it getting a sex talk from Alec. I'm a really sick and perverted person I guess. I need to stop this. So I guess no more Joshua in this story. But let's get to it. Here goes:_

  


  


**Chapter 4: **

  


_Logans place:_

  


You arranged what? Jesus Logan. You really are a pimp then, Max said after hearing Logan tell her what he had arranged for Alec and the guys. She got up from his lap and sat down on the chair opposite from him and waited for Logan to go on. It seemed like he wasn't done yet.

  


I know, I know. Don't you think I feel a little uneasy myself. I mean I don't even know why this bothers me so much. It's Alec. He probably didn't even waste a minute thinking about how pathetic this is. I don't know. Sorry that I spoil our evening but I just keep thinking about it, Logan finished not knowing what else to say. 

  


Well. Then I'll let you keep thinking about it until you find out what's bothering you. I don't feel like a romantic evening anymore myself. Let's call it a night then. I go back to check the headquarters. I'll see you in the morning. With that she got up and headed for the door.

  


Max. Wait. Don't go. I mean we could...., Logan started but was interrupted by Max who turned around to look him in the eyes. It's okay Logan. Don't give yourself a hard time. I just don't feel like IT tonight. Later. She opened the door and got out. Logan jumped up from his chair and called her name but he couldn't say anything else for Max had closed the door. 

  


When Logan opened it again to follow her she was nowhere to be seen in the hallway, so he closed the door again. He turned on the light in his crib, turned off the music and blew out the candles. Then he grabbed the bottle of wine and sat down on his bed drowning the rest of the bottle in one gulp. Well done Cale. Well done, he muttered to himself and got up to see what else to drink he had stored in his fridge. He found half a bottle scotch and sat back down on the bed – to think and drink.

  


  


_Logans Penthouse:_

  


At the same time Alec sat on the bed in Logans penthouse. He finished drinking wine and switched to beer. The lights were out and Alec sat in the dark. Only the moon and one candle on the nightstand provided him with light. He had Logans book in his hands and stared out of the window. Occasionally he sipped his beer and open the book – only to close it again. He felt like an intruder reading Logans personal stuff but he couldn't seem to stop thinking about it. 

  


He got up from the bed to get himself another beer from the fridge and returned to the room. He opened the book again but this time he didn't close it. He read some more of Logans poems. At some point he abruptly closed it and threw the book across the room. He grabbed his beer and emptied it. Then threw the empty bottle in a similar direction and it scattered on the doorframe. Angrily he got up, grabbed his jacket and left the penthouse.

  


  


_Terminal City: Headquarters_

  


Max entered the Headquarters, poured herself some coffee and slumped down on the chair next to Dix. He worked on the computers and didn't notice Max sit down next to him until Max let out a heavy sigh. Dix turned around and looked at her questioningly. 

  


What's up Max. Something wrong? Dix asked.

  


No. It's all good I guess. It was just a long day. Max answered and looked at the computer screen in front of Dix. What ya working on?

  


Nothing special. Just one of Logans little projects" Dix replied turning back to the screen.

  


"Oh", Max said, "One of Logans little projects, huh? He seems to have an awful lot of little side projects nowadays."

  


"What?" Dix asked turning back to Max.

  


"Oh, nothing", Max said absentmindedly.

  


"What's wrong Max? Trouble in paradise?" Dix asked turning around in his chair to face Max, giving her his full attention.

  


"I don't know. We just had a little disagreement. Nothing major" Max answerd. Dix was just about to say something when Max got up, said her usual "Later" and walked out of the door. The last thing she wanted was to talk about Logan or about the reason why they had their little disput.

  


*********

  


_Seattle, cemetary:_

  


Alec knelt in front of a grave. Softly he traced the inscription on the tombstone with his fingers. Rachel. Beloved Daughter. Jan. 15 2002 - Oct. 21 2020. 

  


"I love you", Alec whispered and a tear rolled down his cheek. He could see her face in front of him. Could see her smile. He could feel her touch, her lips on his and her arms wrapped around his neck. In her eyes he saw everything he wanted. Everything he needed. But she was gone. He got up and whiped the tear away. After one last look at her grave he turned around and walked away. Seattles streets were empty. Which was a good thing as he didn't even try to be careful to avoid the sector police. He was deep in thoughts. He thought about his time with Rachel and how good and alive he felt whenever he was with her. He thought about how much he had done wrong and how little he had done to save her. 

  


He didn't know where all that came from, but somehow Logans poems triggered something inside of him. He thought about going to a bar and drown himself in alcohol, pick up a girl and forget about everything. But instead he went back to Logans place, laid down on the bed and stared into the dark.

  


*********

  


_A warehouse - outside of Seattle:_

  


"So when can the operation start?" the man in the dark suit asked Clemente.

  


"I need a little more time. 452 is still suspicious about my motives to settle this peacefully. I ned to make her an offer she can't turn down. But as long as she doesn't trust me she's not going to meet with me to negotiate. Tell your boss to give me a couple of more days. I'll come up with something" Clemente answered, clearly nervous and uncomfortable. 

  


"Well Detective. You better think fast. The boss isn't the most patient person. Are we clear?" the dark suited man barked back at Clemente, then nodded his head to the door, dismissing him. After the door closed and Clemente had left a raspy voice echoed throught the speakers - "Follow him. We can't afford any more mistakes. I want to be notified about every move he makes."

  


"Yes Director Renfro", the dark suited man replied and quickly left the room to follow Clemente.

  


**********

  


_Terminal City:_

_Max crib_

  


After cleaning her head walking through the streets of TC, Max decided to finally get some sleep. But somehow she couldn't find any. She rolled around in bed for an hour and then gave it up. She lay in bed, occationally closing her eyes or changing sides. Her thoughts kept drifting to Logan **//: What a stupid thing to fight about. My love life get's messed up because some guys here just don't have one:// **With a heavy sigh she got up in bed. Realizing that she probably wouldn't get any sleep tonight anyways ahe put on her boots, grabbed her jacked and walked out of her door.

  


*********

  


_The warehouse - outside of Seattle:_

  


Renfro rolled into the room. Her burned skin was covered with scars. She sat in a wheelchair and needed a raspirator to breath and a mechanical device on her throat to speak. Her eyes looked dead. No determination, no hate - nothing. But still she was determined to get 452 back in her hands. Not because she hated her - she threw herself in front of her and cought a bullet ment for her. No she didn't hate her. But after all the time she waited and all the work she put into it she deserved the reward.

  


She rolled herself inside the room Clemente had been in earlier and stopped in front of the black suited guy. He stared at the blank white wall bhind her. As were all the other guards. No one was allowed to look at her. And no one ever broke that law. She still had an aura of stron military authority even though she sat crippled in a wheelchair. And her raspy, mecanical voice only attributed to the respect, the obedience and yes even fear the soilders had for her. 

  


"Report", her mecanical voice barked.

  


*********

  


_Logans crib:_

  


Max stood in front of Logans door. She walked through the streets of TC again and ended up here. Why and what for she didn't know. But their argument was stupid. It had nothing to do with her and Logan. And she was tired and knwe that only in his arms she would be able to catch some sleep tonight. So without knocking she opened the door and stepped inside. Logan was laying on his bed, still fully dressed and with an empty scotch bottle in his hand. She shook her head and took the empty bottle away from him and placed it on the table. She took off his glasses and went to work on his shoes when Logan stirred and tried to kick her hands away.

  


"Shh, Logan. It's just me. Sleep. We talk tomorrow", she said softly still trying to get his shoes off. That accomplished she took his shirt off and unbuttoned his pants and slid them down. Now only clad in his boxers she covered him up and kissed his forehead softly. His breath smelled heavily like alkocol and Max just smiled and ran her hand through his hair. 

  


"Sleep tight Logan. You are so gonna pay for that tomorrow." With that she turned around and left. **//: No need to stick around. He'll sleep through and wake up with a huge hangover:// **she thought with a grin and headed for the headquarters to do something productive as she couldn't sleep anyway.

  


  


************

************

  


_Headquarters:_

_Late next morning_

  


The Headquarters were busy that morning. Lots of transgenics running around carrying things from here to there or reporting the missing supplies to Alec who stood in the middle of the room with paper and pen. Mas was near the door to the front exit/entrance talking to Sam about the pregnancies. Logan walked in the back door with small eyes looking rather pale. He took off his sunglasses, blinked, glanced at the clock that said 11:30 o'clock and watched the busy scene in front of him. **//: God. What have I been missing. Alec and Sam are back and Alec seems more ....well...committed to his work. Max is smiling and Mole doesn't look at me like he wants to kill me. I should sleep in more often ://** Logan thought **//: Just without the booze://**

  


Sam said his goodbyes to Max, nodded briefly in Alecs and Logans direction and left through the front door with a very exited Jesse following him outside as it was his turn today to drive with Sam outside and get his grooves on in Logans appartement. Seeing Sam nod at Logan, Max and Alec noticed that he was standing there. Max saw that Alec headed in his direction and decided to let them speak first. After all, their little plans started the little fight that Logan and her were having. **//: Let them talk it out and then it's still enough time for Logan to apologize to me:// **she thoughtwith a smile and walked over to the monitors always keeping an eye on Alec and Logan. She wondered what was wrongn with them but thught that if it were imortant Logan would tell her. Logan and Alec felt the tension too. Logan because of the pimping and Alec because he read his poetry and had to admitt that he wasn't such a guy at all and longed for something deeper. But he'd rather drop dead in his tracks than to actually tell that somebody. Especially not Max and Logan. The drama dream couple. No he would not tell. He would put on a show only he could muster. 

  


Hey Logan buddy, Alec said as he finally reached Logan.

  


Hey Alec, Logan replied and both shared nervous smiles while awkwardly patting each others shoulders the way only know how. 

  


So. Things are pretty busy this morning, huh? Logan said while letting his eyes wander through the room. Alec stept next to him and did the same leaving them standing shoulder to shoulder near the back entrance observing the room. They really looked kinda stupid standing there which caused Max to slightly shake her head and wonder if she would ever undersand the male species. 

  


After a while of standing there the clock eventually rang noon. , Alec, Logan and some of the other transgenics shouted. 

  


Before you go. How did it go last night and this morning. No problems getting in or out?, Logan asked awkwardly. 

  


Logan! Some things one never forgets. Like riding a bicycle, swimming or the good old in and out, Alec said grinning broadly. 

  


Very funny Alec, Logan replied. He turned around murmuring have a nice lunch and was about to leave figuring everything went alright if he was here. But suddenly Alec stopped him by calling his name, so he turned around again.

  


What Alec? Logan asked clearly annoyed and expecting another `Alec´-answer. Alec shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Logan. It went okay. No stress with the sector cops or other transgenic haters. It's really uncomplicated. You should try it yourself. With Max of course. It's good getting out of here once in a while. Alec finished.

  


Logan was a little surprised that he answered so seriously without a hint of sarcasm. But he was glad he did so and not give him a report on how hot the blond was. He could live without that. 

  


Good to hear. And thanks. I ask Max. Maybe she could get a night off – for once. With that he turned around and walked over to where Max was sitting on the monitors. She looked up when she saw him approach and waited for him to get to her. 

  


Good morning sweetie, she said in a sugary voice after making sure no one else but Logan was in ears reach. 

  


Good morning to you too, Logan said just as sugary. I guess I have to say thank you for bringing me to bed yesterday. He said with a smile sitting down next to her on the chair. She smiled back but didn't say a word. So he continued. And I also wanted to say that I'm sorry. I mean I can't even say what it was we were fighting about. I just know it was no big deal and it had nothing to do with us. So again, I'm sorry for making such a big deal about it and spoil our evening. With that he tilted his head slightly to the right and made a puppy face. He looked so cute that Max just smiled. She rolled towards him in her office chair, grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him deeply on his mouth. He knew that the puppy face always worked with Max but he didn't expect such a reaction. After a second of surprise he snapped out of it and participated just as eagerly in the kiss, granting Max access to his mouth. 

  


He brought his own hands up to grab her head and bring her closer to deepen the kiss. They totally forgot where they were so lost in the kiss until they heard people applauding and making dog sounds or were whisteling. They pulled apart realizing that they sat on the control monitores in the headquarters. They looked downstairs and around and everyone was staring at them with a huge grin plasterd on his face. Max glared at everybody and shouted for them to go back to whatever they were doing and turned back to Logan. 

  


Sorry. Couldn't help it. You wanne go grab lunch or something?, she asked getting up from the chair and walked towards the door. 

  


Or something, Logan aswered following her closeley – which earned them another round of dog sounds and kissing noises. Ignoring it they stepped outside. 

  


  


  


_AN: That's it guys. Not so much action but I promise it'll get better. Just tell me if you want me to continue. Love ya. Please R + R._

  


  



	5. It's getting hot in here

_**Hormones**_

  


By: lfbrox

Rating: NC-17

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J. 

  


  


_AN: Sorry it took soooooo long. But I was kind of in the middle of something. You know. Finishing College, moving out of my appartement, finding a job which happened to be in the US – which is kinda complicated when you are European. So moving here, getting all the paperwork done and trying to adjust to that damn US Keyboard took a little longer. But now I'm all settled in. New job, new friends and new everything. So I figured let's get back to DA. So I present you today:_

  


**Chapter 5: It's getting hot in here**

  


*******OKAY IF YOU ARE NOT INTO NC-17 STUFF DO NOT READ THIS*********

  


_**Outside of the headquarters:**_

  


Logan shut the door leaving all the whisteling people to themselves. He started to go left to get some lunch with Max at the messhall when Max grabbed his arm and directed him the other way. Irritated he stopped.

  


What? I thought you wanne go grab lunch? he asked.

  


Oh. Right. Lunch. If that's what you want then let's go, Max said letting off of his arm and walking towards the messhall. But Logan didn't follow so she stopped.

  


What is it? I thought you want to have lunch.

  


Where were you heading for Max? Logan asked.

  


Well, I asked if you wanted to grab lunch or something. And you answered with ' or something'. I didn't know that actually meant lunch. But let's go. Max said with the most 'I so would have fucked your brains out look' on her face and continued to walk towards the messhall waiting for Logan to follow her – her initial intention that is. 

  


And Logan – the quick learner that he is wasted no time. He grinned, took two large steps until he had caught up with Max and grabbed her arm, making her stop.

  


Hey. What are you doing? I'm hungry.

  


So am I Max. So am I, with that he pulled on her arm dragging her with him to the barracks.

  


  


_**The warehouse - outside of Seattle:**_

  


So 452 is still leading Terminal City. I knew she had it in her. That's what she was made to be. That's what she was meant to be. A Leader. If only she knew what is coming, if only she knew what she's capable of. Our time will come. And soon. Tell Clemente he has 2 more weeks to gain 452's trust and to seperate her from the rest of the unworthy, filthy TC inhabitants. We need to get this thing going. I've waited too long to let any mistakes happen right now. Renfro said in an cold as ice voice while looking out of the window of the warehouse. 

  


Yes Ma'm. We have Victor pay a visit to Clemente tonight. If he doesn't come up with a plan, a strategy - we take him out, the dark suited man replied.

  


, Renfro barked, Don't make it too easy for him. Death is a relief. If he turns his back on us he has to pay. But first he has to watch his wife and kids pay. Arrange everything. We don't have much time left. Get Clemente to do his job. If he refuses. Bring him to me, Renfro said while leaving the room.

  


Ay Ma'm, the dark suited man replied and watched her go. When the doors closed behind her he turned to an even bigger guy waiting by the entrance of the room – Victor. 

  


So Victor. You know what you have to do, the dark suited man said with a grin.

  


Listen. Examine. Evaluate. I'll bring back news of a strategy or a very beat up Clemente with the body of his dead wife and his 3 dead kids. I really don't care what the outcome is. So when and where do I meet him? Victor asked.

  


The alley behind the porn theater. 13:00 pm. Sharp. Be on time. I hear your report by 15:00 pm. Sharp. Dismissed.

  


Yes Sir

  


They stood for a couple of more seconds and stared into each other eyes. Then they turned around and left – each knowing what to do and each of them knowing what could be the outcome of this. But they didn't care. They didn't care that they weren't among the chosen ones. They didn't care that they had to die. They followed orders. And orders they had.

  


  


_**Logans Crib:**_

  


Max opened the door dragging Logan on his shirt behind her. She pulled him into the room and turned around pressing him against the door shutting it in the process. She stared into his eyes licking her lips. 

  


It's not always about sex, she said pulling his T-Shirt off grinning evily, but sometimes it just is about sex. Before Logan could reply she captured his mouth with hers, agressively demanding access which was eagerly granted by Logan. She worked on his pants button and his zipper while he tried to rid her of her shirt. That caused some logistic problems but Logan solved it really quick by ridding himself off of his pants then ripping Max shirt and bra off her and turning her around pressing her hard against the wall while all the time kissing her senseless. 

  


They could not get themselves undressed quick enough. They tugged on the remainders of their cloth while trying not to break the kiss. Logan wanted to taste her smooth skin but could not tear away from her mouth. He wanted to touch her breasts that pressed against his chest but could not bring himself to let go of her ass where he used his hands to press her against him. He wanted to trail kisses all over her body but could not deny the urge to just take her here and now against the door. He wanted to leave marks on her body. Brand her as his. He wanted to taste her. But that mouth. And the beautiful sounds she made. He just could not stop kissing her. He should stop. He needed to breathe. Badly. But he could not bring himself to stop. He needed her more than the air he was breathing. So he continued to kiss her. Continued to press his body against hers. 

  


She felt the urge too. She wanted to use her super strenth to push him away from her on the bed and ride him. Just fuck him. But she didn't. His kisses were addictive and she could never get enough of them. She – Max – who always controlled everything was out of control. And she liked it. She loved it. She kissed him and touched him and it wasn't enough. She needed more. She finally worked up the strenth to push him backwards and they fell on the bed, never breaking the kiss. Logan spinned her around so Max was laying on her back and he suddenly broke the kiss. He was breathing heavily while gazing in her eyes. 

  


The best lunch I've had in years, he said with a wide grin. She smiled back not able to talk right now. He took that as an encouragement – grinned at her one last time, kissed her lips briefly and then started his journey. A journey down a land he would never be tired of traveling. A road he knew but was always amazed at how good it was everytime he took it. He kissed her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone and her chest while using his hands to touch her belly and her thighs. He felt like never stopping. He could do this forever. 

  


But Max could not. 

  


She used her strength and turned them around so she was on top holding Logans hands over his head. She smiled when she felt his errection pressing against her inner thigh. She nipped on his neck and nibbled on his ear before looking him in the eyes.

  


I would love for us to explore this further. But right now......, she paused while positioning herself over him, .....I just want to get off. With that she sank down on him causing him to scream out loud while she yelled out her approval.

  


She started moving up and down on him hard, frequent and fast. She let her hands roam over his chest and his muscular arms. She picked up even more speed on the verge of a shattering orgasm. She was like that – sometimes. Every 4 month. 

  


Logan always felt when she was close and knew his ways to prolong it and make it better for her. But now. She was almost there and he didn't even move his hips. He tried to think. He tried to figure out if she was just horny as hell or if it was the HEAT time again. But he could not think. She moved on him. Taking him in hard and fast. He tried to count the month. Not a really easy thing to do when a godess is riding you and you just want to turn her over and plunge into her.

  


, Logan tried to speak while Max was riding him so good. 

  


Shut up Logan. Shut the hell up, Max answered while striving for release, intensifying her movements.

  


That was Logans answer. As much as he wanted her to continue. As much as he wanted to finish what they've started – he had to stop this now.

  


He took advantage of the orgasmic stage she was in and flipped them around. She was surprised for like a second and then urged her hips up for him to finish the job. Then her eyes grew wide. 

  


He withdrew. 

  


What the hell do you think you're doing? she hissed while trying to get him back inside.

  


Ma..Max. Hold it. Wait baby. He said trying to block her away and catch his breath at the same time. Which wasn't an easy task. Even though Max was still confused, speachless and on the edge of relief she was also angry. And that gave her her strength back instantly. She flipped them around, trapped Logans arms over his head and held them there with an iron grip of her left hand while her right hand sneaked between them. She grabbed Logen and positioned herself – determined to finish this the way she wanted it to, the way she needed it to. 

  


She was just about to sink down on him when she caught Logans eyes. She saw desire, lust, passion and something else. His eyes were pleading, desperate for her to stop and listen to what he had to say. With a groan she let go of his arms and dick, slid a little forward and sat down on his belly. He seemed reliefed and smiled. That just annoyed her more. She rolled her eyes with attitude let out another deep breath and looked at him expectantly.

  


What the fuck is that all about? And it better be good, she almost yelled at him.

  


He tried to sit up and move Max off of his belly – just in case. He was just a guy after all, but Max used both hands and pushed him back on the bed. 

  


You better start talking now Logan, she growled.

  


Not wanting to make this situation any worse than it already was Logan decided to obey and get right to his point.

  


, pause, , pause. That got him another rolling of her eyes. She was just about to yell at him again to just get to it when he spoke up.

  


I believe you're in heat. And if that is the case, then we should not do this. At least not without protection. We have enough pregnant transgenics around here. I don't think we need another one right now. Logan finished waiting for Max to reply. 

  


Max was just sitting there. Staring at nothing in particular. But Logan could see that she was concentrating on her thoughts, rather than on her urge to shut him up and get to it already. After what seemed like long minutes Max seemed to snap back into reality. She cleared her throat and looked back down at Logan. 

  


You know what? You might be right. I can't believe I haven't noticed. I never even thought about it. I just thought that you looked kinda yummie today. And that I could just eat you up right there at the command center. But sometimes I just think that. Heat or not. So I didn't even think about that. She wanted to continue but saw Logan grin up at her. 

  


She asked confused.

  


So you think about how yummie I look and about eating me up on a regular basis, huh? He asked while smiling broadly and letting his hand drop on her thights that were holding his upper body down, squeezing them gently.

  


Max wanted to give him one of her trademarked smart ass replies but was achingly aware of Logans hands on her thighs. Instantly this warm feeling spread throughout her body again. Her belly started to flutter and her face looked immedeately flushed. Her hands closed around her ankles in an attempt to keep them from attacking Logan.

  


Logan could feel the heat spreading from Max body. He could feel the new sping of wetness where she sat on his belly. He noticed her flushed cheeks and saw her hands clutching her ankles. Then he noticed his own hands that were gently touching her thighs. The atmosphere and the urge that he thought would be gone after their conversation was back in full blast. 

  


They sat there staring at each other. Nobody wanted to be the first to move. Nobody wanted to be the first one to talk. Nobody wanted to destroy this tension. This electricity, intensity. This need. 

  


But when it felt too unbearable to wait just another second they both spoke at the same time. 

  


  


*****************************

  


_**Alley in Seattle:**_

  


Clemente was waiting in the dirty and dark alley. It was almost 1 pam and he looked around wondering who will show up and even more important – what for. He heard a sound and twisted around with his hand on his gun. He saw a big, very tall and scary looking guy approaching him. Victor. 

  


Clemente. Renfro send me. I need some answers from you and I hope for you, that you can give them to me. On second thought. I don't hope you got answere for me. I could really use some action. Victor told Clemente in a dry and calm tone while rubbing his hands together expectantly. 

  


Clemente swallowed hard. He knew that this guy wasn't kidding and could see that he was just dying to send him into a world of hurt. He took a deep breath and pretended to be calm. What kinda answers do you need from me? he asked but failed to sound casual and calm. 

  


Sensing Clementes discomfort Victor smiled evily. Renfro wants to know what your course of action will be concerning 452. How will you seperate her from TC without making her suspicious? Victor asked Clemente.

  


Clemente felt like the air has been knocked out of him. He had no answer but he felt that that was the wrong thing to tell Victor. He had to think of something fast. Really fast. He cleared his throat and started to talk. And he was as interested as Victor in what he would say as he had no idea how to avoid being killed in this dark and dirty alley. 

  


****************************

_**Logans Crib:**_

  


I cannot believe that Sam gave you a couple of hundred condoms and you did not keep a single one for yourself, Max stated in disbelief while pacing naked in Logans crib. Logan sat on the bed and watched her. If he wouldn't have had an errection from her sitting on his belly naked he sure would start to harden now watching her naked form in front of him. Max stopped pacing and looked at Logan sitting on the bed with a massive errection and a wild look in his eyes. Her mouth went dry at that sight and other areas became anything but dry. 

  


I'm sorry Max. I didn't even think about taking some for us. I didn't think we needed them. I'm such and idiot. I totally forgot the heat thing. Logan said realizing that no matter how sexy she looked and no matter how much she wanted him and how much he wanted her there would not be any sex if he could not get his hands on a condom. But he could not leave now. Not in his 'condition'. And he could not leave Max alone. But he had to go and get a condom – no make that condoms one would certainly not do it. Not today. But he couldn't go. He was in a dilemma. He sat on the bed thinking how he could solve this dilemma and didn't even notice Max approaching him.

  


She looked at him from across the room. He sat there with his errection still glistening with her juices and she could see that he was thinking hard judging by his expressions. He looked so damn cute and she was just too damn horny to miss that. She had to have him now and the longer he sat there on the bed thinking, the longer she would have to wait. But she could not wait any longer. She had to have something, anything. Anything he could give her. She needed it and she deserved it. So she started walking towards him. No clear coherent thought present in her clouded sex craving brain. 

  


When she reached him she quickly straddled his lap, careful not to just impale herself on his nice, rock hard dick and ride him unconscious. She settled down on his thighs and wrapped her arms around his neck. Logan snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her in surprise. 

  


Max. What are you doing? You know that we can't. Let me just go real quick and grab some condoms while you wait here. It won't take long. Logan pleaded with Max. It was obvious that she needed it bad right now and that the longer he waited the less control Max had over her body. And he was human after all. Horny and human. And it didn't help having her straddling him naked. He knew it was wrong and he knew it was dangerous but damn she was sexy. Involuntarily he wrapped his arms around her and drew her even closer. Her breasts touched his naked chest and his errection pressed into her lower belly while hungry mouths attacked one another.

  


They couldn't stop even though both knew they had to. Eventually they had to. But this felt too good to stop. But after a few minutes of heavy making out they wanted more. They needed it. Max lifted herself inteded to join them and make this ache stop, but just before she could sink down Logan grabbed her hips and threw her on the bed. 

  


She stared up at him. She didn't need to ask him what the hell he was doing. She knew what he was doing. The right thing. And if she wouldn't have been in heat she would have been moved by his considering nature. But now this frustrated her. She sighed. Logan touched her cheek softly and whispered softly, I know. I know baby. But we can't do this. Not right now. 

  


I know Logan. Max answered her frustration clear in her voice. Then suddenly Logan smirked sexily and jumped on the bed next to her. He kissed her cheek softly, then travelled to her mouth and after a gentle but passionate and very promising kiss he moved further down, kissing her neck and nibbeling his way down to her breasts where he took one of her already painfully hard nipples between his teeth and gave it a little bite only to heal it again with a lick of his perfect tongue. 

  


Max gasped out loud and arched her back to meet his mouth. That's what she wanted. She didn't want him to stop ever again. But she had to know what he was up to. Logan...........god that feels so good...uhhh......ahm, Logan...........god. I don't mean to complain here...........oh god.........don't stop......but what are you doing? she stuttered while putting her hand on the back of his head pulling him closer and not giving him a chance to stop. 

  


He pulled his mouth away from her breast to look up at Max. She looked flushed and her eyes were dark with passion. Her lips were half parted and her breathing was ragged. He smiled at her one of his sexy smiles. Well baby. We can't do it right now. But that doesn't mean I can't help you out here. Take the edge off to give me some time to run and grab some condoms. Now shut up and let me go back to work. With that he moved to her other breast and took that nipple in his mouth as well. Max let go of his head and grabbed the sheets. 

  


Sorry baby. I didn't mean to interrupt. I swear to god this won't happen again.............Ohhhhhhh...............god........don't stop.........keep on doing.......ahhhhh .......keep on doing what you are........ohhhh..........doing. This felt too good to be true and she knew that Logan is not going anywhere. So she could let go and enjoy. And enjoy she did. 

  


  


***********************

  


  


_**Alley in Seattle:**_

  


So that's your plan Clemente? Victor asked after Clemente stuttered his plan.

  


Yes. That's my plan. Tell Renfro not to worry. Everything will work out just as planned. It just takes a little time to set it up. But when we start to execute the plan everything will work out smoothly. Clemente answered. He still felt nervous but he felt like he had saved himself some time. But he also knew that he had to do something. Renfro wouldn't wait forever. She wanted to see results.

  


And exactely how much time will you need to set up this plan? Victor asked. He felt a little disappointed hearing Clementes answer because that meant he didn't get to break any bones tonight. But he felt something was wrong and he figured he just had to wait a little and the bonebreaking was sure to come. 

  


I don't know. Maybe another month. A month and a half. Clemente answered. He knew it was a lot to ask for, but he had to a least try. 

  


That's a lot of time. Director Renfro isn't the most patient person. Hurry up. I don't thing she'll give you another month. I run it by her and I'll get back to you in the morning. With that he turned around and disappeared in the darkness. 

  


Clemente took a deep breath turned around and walked to his car knowing that he would not get a lot of sleep tonight. 

  


***************************

  


  


_**Logans Crib:**_

  


While at the same time aross town two lovers didn't plan on getting a lot of sleep either.

  


Logan kissed her inner thigh while softly stroking her flat stomach. Max was in extacy and wanted nothing more than to feel Logans mouth on her to end her aching pain. But he took his time. Teasing her. Driving her crazy. Max loved every minute of it but enough was enough. He was softly blowing into her opening but pulled his head back as Max arched her hip up to meet his mouth and finally feel him on her. Then he started kissing her other thigh softly while massaging her breast. 

  


God Logan will you finally get to it and stop fucking around. Max demanded.

  


Patience in all things my love was Logans reply. Max just opened her mouth to complain and to order him to do it and threaten him a little, when he did it. He closed his mouth over her wet opening. Max yelped in surprise and screamed with pleasure. She spread her legs wider to give him better access and bucked her hips up to meet his mouth and feel more of his tongue. He licked her wet folds tasting her, drinking her juices, eating her pussy. Max was in heaven. She thought it couldn't get any better than that when Logan dove his tongue as deep as he could inside her. Max jumped off the bed and if it wouldn't have been for Logan she would have fallen off it. He was really a beautiful and talented man. 

  


He played with her. He knew what she wanted and he gave it to her. He gave himself to her. All that mattered now was that beautiful woman and the pleasure he could give her. She tasted divine and he wanted more so he dug deeper. Max was close. Another few hard licks from Logan and she would be thrown violently over the edge. And there was nothing in the world that could get between her and that orgasm. 

  


Logan felt she was close by the sounds she made, by her heavy breathing and by the way his mouth got flooded with another wave of Max juices. He knew it would not take much to make her come. And he did not want to tease her any further and deny her the release she so badly needed. So he brought his free hand to her clit and circled it while licking her deep and hard. 

  


Max let out a high pitched scream when she finally reached a mind blowing orgasm. Logans mouth was challanged with another flood of cum juices and he eagerly drank it up while soothing her licking her gently until she came back to the real world. He gave her one last lick and then moved back up to kiss her deep and long. Max tasted herself on him and felt Logans errection press into her abdomen which made her greedy all over again. Logan felt that and broke the kiss. He jumped out of bed grabbed his pants and put them on. It was a little painful to close the zipper over his huge errection but he managed. He threw on a shirt and turned towards Max.

  


I'm gonna be back in just a second. Don't you dare to move that sexy ass of yours out of this bed. I'm so not done with you yet. Logan said while putting on his shoes. 

  


I hope not. Hurry up and get that sexy ass of yours back here. She smiled and ran a hand from her shoulders slowly down to her belly. Logans eyes grew wider and he practically ran out the door.

  


  


TBC

  


  


_AN: There you go. Finally updated and it's even a long chapter. Hope you liked it. As soon as I know what that plan of Clemente is all about I write some more and update. I'm telling you. The plot part is the hardest. I'm simply not a plot person. But I'm thinking really hard on it. You'll see. _

  



	6. Condoms and maybe company

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: NC-17

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J. 

_AN: Hey guys. Thanks for welcoming me back after such a long time. I promise to update more frequently. Not every week, but every month maybe. And to prove that I'm still the big tease you know I present you a very  little chapter for the month of September. _

**Chapter 5 ½  : Condoms and maybe company.**

**_Alec's Crib:_**

Alec sat on the bed. Staring at the little cabinet that held his clothes. But he didn't stare at that particular ugly piece of furniture. His eyes were fixed on Logan's book. He should give it back to Logan. He knew he should. But he could not make himself do that. He hadn't read in it since he was back at Terminal City. But he wanted to keep it a little longer. Just in case. So he just stared at it while sitting on his bed waiting for his shift at the command center to begin. 

A knock on the door ripped him out of his staring-and-trying-to-avoid-thinking-state. 

"Who is it? And what do you want?" he yelled.

"It's me Logan. You got a second? Can I come in?" Logan asked trying hard not to sound too impatient.

Alec jumped off the bed in an instant. He grabbed the blanket that was laying on the foot of the bed and threw it over Logan's book on the cabinet. Then he rushed and opened the door. 

"Come on in buddy", Alec said and gestured Logan inside. "What can I do for you?"

"Well", Logan started, "Ahm, well, I got some complaints from some people here. By the way, did I thank you and the guys for distributing all the condoms and having to give some awkward little sex talks? Well, if I didn't. Thanks. I mean. I really appreciated that. Anyway. Great job. There were just a few people that you kinda missed on that distribution run. So by any chance. Do you have some condoms left that I can hand over to them. We don't want to discriminate anyone. Now do we? So got any left?" Logan finished a little out of breath as he said the whole sentence in the same breath.

Alec looked at Logan amused. //:What was that stuttering and babbling all about? Is he hiding something from me? Better find out:// Alec thought. 

"Yeah. I got a bunch left. I figured we store them in case of an you know "EMERGENCY". What do you think?" Alec said with a grin knowing or better sensing something was awfully foul with the story about complaining transgenics.

//What is with him. He's up to something. Am I such a bad liar?// Logan asked himself while at the same time answering Alecs question. "Yes. Very good thinking Alec. You never know when you need them. So where did you store them? I just grab some and hand them over to the ones you missed." Logan asked casually.

"So who complained?" Alec asked as casually and just too dripping sweet to be mistaken for serious.

"Ahm, sorry. Can't tell ya. Kind of a confidentiality thing. So where did you store them?" Logan asked again a little louder now. His desperation visible judging by his clenched jaw and fists.

Alec had to laugh. He had no idea what was going on. He could not even think of something that would get Logan that tense. //:Poor guy. Look at him. All tense. Like he needed the condoms now. For himself. I shouldn't be torturing him any long…….wait a sec. Ohhhhh. Yuk. He does need them right now for himself. Well, at least explains the lip locking from earlier. Ahhh. Yuk:// Alec thought. He just wanted to have a little fun with Logan and know he actually figured out the whole thing. Max was in heat. And judging by the way Logan was acting – so was he. 

He walked across the room, grabbed the box with the left over condoms and tossed it over to Logan. "There. Now get out and get back to Max. I sure don't want to see the both of you in the next 2 days. Tell Max I take her shift and cover for her. I am **really** sure I don't want to see you two in the next 2 days." Alec said. Not grinning anymore. A little disgusted. And a little jealous. "Now get out."

Logan wanted to say something but he could not think of anything that would humiliate him even more. So he awkwardly shrugged his shoulders, looked at the box, looked back up at Alec, forced a smile, nodded his head and headed out the door, leaving Alec behind who just had to shake his head                              -                            and envy Logan.

***********************

**_Logans_****_ Crib:_**

"God Logan. Hurry up. How long can it take?" Max almost yelled while laying in bed waiting for Logan to come back. Her heat was back in full blast. The edge that Logan took off just mere minutes earlier just contributed to the fact that she wanted him even more right now. 

Her hand snuck under the sheets she was laying under. She ran her hand down her upper body. Briefly touching her thighs before moving upward. But suddenly she pulled her hand back up and placed them securely on top of the sheets again. //:Logan is so much better at that. I can do it. I can wait for him. He should be here any second:// She thought.

Then she heard a knock on the door. She smiled evilly and positioned herself in a sexy pose. "Come on in", she purred in her sexiest voice.

Then the door slowly opened.

_AN: There you go. A little tease. I'm going on a little vacation. So hopefully I get around writing and updating before that. If not. Consider this your September Chapter. But believe me. I really try._


	7. Squeezing in a F!

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R (does it really make a difference???)

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J. 

_AN: Hey guys. Lately I seem to have a writers rush but didn't seem to get to post things.  I was blocked for so long, that I really enjoy this. And it's good for you too. More updates – or so I hope. But let's not push it. I might just have a good week. So here is your October update. Maybe your only October chapter – but maybe I will get around finishing and posting one for 'Facing Death' during the weekend. Anyways. Let's see what happens. Enjoy this._

**Chapter 6: Squeezing in a F*?!**

**_Clementes_****_ office:_**

With shivering hands Clemente dialed the number. Determined to do it but afraid of what the outcome may be. After just a few rings the phone was picked up on the other end and the familiar voice of Victor barked a unwelcoming "What?".

Clemente took a deep breath and willed his voice to sound calm. "It's me. Clemente. I came up with a plan. I just need some of your resources to execute it." He finished, proud that his voice was only slightly shaking. 

"Let's hear it then Clemente", Victor snarled back sort of disappointed that Clemente came up with something so fast. No bone breaking and killing fun for him. But Renfro still had the last word.

"Well. 452 is not trusting me any time soon. Why would she. We're not doing anything to solve this problem for them – why would we. So I'd say that I suggest to her a meeting to talk about these matters and how to solve everything in a secure location. A location where neither she has her army of transgenics to back her up, and we don't have any legal, military right to arrest or capture her. Canada. Only a few of them and a few of us. No tricks. And on our way back, this terrible plane crash happens. We all die. At least that's what the transgenics will think. 452 is gone. They choose another leader and no one will ever think about starting a war with us in order to get her back. Because she will be dead. I hand her over to you and as I am supposedly dead too, I walk away from the police, the military force of Washington and you. We all got what we want." Clemente finished hoping he has nothing left unconsidered and hoping that Renfro would go with the plan. 

"So what do you think?" He asked waiting for an answer from Victor. 

Victor put the phone down and turned to the sliding door waiting for it to open. Renfro heard in on his conversation with Clemente and he waited for someone to come out and tell him to go after Clemente to kill him or go with the plan. He was hoping for the first.

A few seconds later the door slid open and the guy in the black suit stepped out and turned to Victor. 

"Tell Clemente he can have a plane. It'll be ready for take off on the airport as we speak. Director Renfro wants this over with – ASAP. Tell him to make the suggestion to 452 today." The black suited man ordered.

"Did you hear that Clemente?" Victor barked into the phone not even bothering to repeat what he just heard.

"Yeah. I heard it. I make the call and then get back to you. I guess you want some of your man accompany me and the transgenics on the plane." Clemente finished, the relieve obvious in his voice.

"Good", Victor said and hung up the phone without saying anything else.

Clemente took another deep breath and picked up the phone again. Ready to seal Max' fate.

*********************************

**_Logan_****_'s crib:_**

Max checked her position one last time. She wanted to make sure she looked absolutely stunning, and unmistakably wanton. She had the dirtiest fantasies during the time Logan was gone and she was determined to live them out with the man of her dreams. The man that was about to walk into the room. She was ready to rock his world.

The door slowly opened. But then again. Not so slowly. 

"To the headquaters. Now. Little Fella. Emergen…….whoofff", Joshua walked in the door and as soon as he saw Max on the bed he barked and turned around – the wind knocked out of his lungs. 

Max eyes widened as soon as she heard him babbeling while opening the door. But even her super human speed wasn't fast enough to cover herself up before Joshua could get an eyeful of her. 

As quickly as she could she wrapped a sheet around her nude body to cover herself and instinctively jumped out of the bed and backed up into the last corner of the small room. She could not look at Joshua, even though she knew he was not looking at her right now. After a while of deadly silence Max decided to start speaking again. 

"What's so important Joshua?" she asked, her eyes still cast to the floor. 

Joshua didn't turn around. His eyes were fixed to his worn out shoes. He cleared his throat and started to stammer. "Clemente. On the phone. Emergency."

Max also cleared her throat still very embarrassed. "Okay. I'll be right there. Just give me a second." With that she dismissed him and he awkwardly closed the door while trying not to turn around and look at her. 

Once the door was closed she rushed to the door and locked it and then leaned heavily against it letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding. After a few seconds she shook her head, let the bed sheet fall down to the floor and proceeded to get dressed to go to the headquarters – hoping that Joshua chose to not be there for once.

_//God how stupid.__ How could I not ask who is it first. Here. In _Terminal___ _City___.__ I can never look at Joshua again.     Or     I will have to have a talk with him about it.      Jeez. How did this all turn into one big sex talk story.//_

Max thought while putting on her cloth and rushing out of the door to the headquarters. Surely this incident kept her sex-craving mind off of actually thinking about sex. But how long would that last? True. There were almost only nomelies working in the headquarters. But she was never in heat among them. She was sure she was save when it came to jumping anyone, but she wasn't sure how they would react. 

She thought for a second that she should have left a note for Logan while rushing towards the command center but figured he'd find her.

********************************

****

**_Terminal_********_City_****_ – Hallway:_**

Logan rushed through the hallway. Occasionally bumping in to some transgenics passing him. He quickly apologizes and rushed on with his box of condoms in his iron tight grip. He hoped to score a handful. But now he had a whole box. His mind was on overload. He had unlimited supply of condoms. He had a sexy sex kitten in his bed and he was horny as hell and had a bunch of ideas of what he wanted to do to Max. 

_//Just one more left turn. Then a right turn and I'm there. In heaven. In all-you-can-eat-sex-buffet heaven.//_ As he was thinking that he almost lost one. Almost. But before that could happen he sped up just a little more.

When he finally reached his door – after what seemed like a lifetime to him- he ripped it open. Dropped the box while trying to get his cloth off and shut and lock the door at the same time. When he successfully managed to lock the door and get rid of his shirt he turned to the bed with a huge grin on his face.

Only to find Max gone.

"What the fuck", he said out loud. He grabbed his shirt opened the door and headed in no particular direction – hoping he could get to Max before she did something foolish.

**********************************

**_Headquarters:_**

Max arrived at the headquarters and was pleased to not see Joshua there. She was welcomed by Dix who led her to the phone where Clemente was waiting already 10 minutes for Max.

"What does he want?" Max asked Dix on their way there.

"He wouldn't tell. Said he needed to talk to you and only you. Sounds really important Max." Dix finished while gesturing to a chair on a desk where a lot of people had gathered around trying to find out what the emergency was.

Max sat down and picked up the phone. 

"Clemente. It's me. Max. What do you want?"

"Hey Max. How are you doing in Terminal City?"

"Cut the small talk Clemente and tell me what you're calling about", Max demanded.

"Okay Max. Then let's cut right to the chase. We need to get together to find a solution to this insane situation…." Clemente started but was cut off by Max.

"Yeah right. If you think I'll agree to meet with you only to have your men or even worse men capture me and use me as a fucking lab rat – forget it. That's not gonna happen. If you wanne talk about solving our problems. Do it now." She finished not in the mood to negotiate. 

"That's why I thought we could meet on neutral grounds. Where nobody has the upper hand." Clemente argued.

"On neutral grounds. You wanne take me to Switzerland?" Max joked not even sure why she suddenly was so amused.

"No Max", Clemente answered with a little laugh himself. "I thought about Canada. Just a handful of your people and a handful of mine. No military force is up there. What do you say? We need some solutions here or the people in this city are gonna do something. They are wired and ready to start a war. They are just not sure against whom they want to fight. If we could straighten out our issues we could prevent this. What do you say?" Clemente pleaded thinking about what might happen to him if 452 did not agree to meet with him.

Max heard him. She really did. It made sense what he said. She just couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something else involved. Something not good – for her and her kind. She looked around the room. She saw clueless faces of transgenics and nomelies. She saw Alec who was excited to get out of TC and have an adventure. She found Logans face in the middle of the crowd walking closer to the table she was sitting at. She saw relief in his face but she could also see him thinking judging by the way his forehead wrinkled. 

She tore her gaze away from the crowd and Logans wrinkled forehead and returned to Clemente.

"Clemente. Give me a few minutes here. I'll get back to you with a decision." With that she hung up – just the way Victor did.

Clemente put the phone down. "Doesn't anybody ever say bye anymore?" he said out loud while getting up pouring himself some coffee and sat back down on his desk staring at the phone – willing it to ring with good news.

*****

"Did you hear what he said?" Max asked the approaching Logan.

"Yeah I heard it. First of all. Thank god you are here." That got him a smile from Max and a frown from Alec. "Secondly. I don't know. We don't know a lot about that Clemente guy. It sounds like something that would be worth considering, but I have a bad gut feeling about this." Logan concluded.

"I know what you mean. Something feels funny." Max said and looked into the crowed hoping someone had something serious to contribute to that decision they had to make in the next few minutes.

"I think we should give it a shot. We need to find a solution other than war and massacre. And it sounds like a good idea – if we come prepared that is", Alec said and received some strange looks from his fellow transgenics.

"What?" Alec asked seeing those looks. "That's a chance to get out of this hellhole." 

That sounded more like Alec. "That is, if we actually going to do it. And if we do. What makes you think we take you along?" Max asked.

"What do you mean when you say 'WE'?" Mole asked from way back of the room.

Max knew that Mole just waited for her to say Logans name. But she wouldn't . "Me and who ever is going with me" she simply said.

"So who's going?" Jess asked.

"I don't know. We haven't even decided that we are going – or have we?" Max asked.

"I think we should go. Let's vote" Mole gave is input again – this time he was next to Max.

Trying to avoid a big argument Max agreed to the vote. So Mole stepped on the table in front of Max. 

"Everyone who is for us going raise your hands", he yelled.

90% of the hands inside the headquarters rose. Mole jumped down the table and faced Max who had risen from her chair. He looked her straight in the eye then looked over her shoulder at Logan. He then turned his attention to the crowed.

"It is decided then. We're going." That caused a round of applause. Mole spit out his cigar to the floor and raised his hands signaling the crowd to silence. "Now we just have to decide who's going." With that he turned to Max – challenging her.

"We'll decide later. Let me make the call to Clemente first and tell him we're going," she said and signaled to Dix to dial the number.

Logan approached Max who had sat back down in her chair. "Are you sure this is such a good idea? This could be a trap." He simply said in a low voice.

"I don't know Logan. But I'm in charge here if I want it or not. And they want me to do something. We can't hide her forever on the DL. They expect me to do something. I have to do this or they grow even more impatient. And I don't wanne know what happens when they don't trust me anymore. Things could get out of hand. Please understand me here. I have to do this." She said with pleading eyes.

"Fine. But don't even think of doing this without me. I don't care what Mole or the rest of the crowd says. I'll not let you do this without me."

"Logan…."

"No Max. I'm gonna come with you. Don't even start talking me out of it." Logan said determined. Then he turned and left.

The situation was serious. It was critical. But she was still in heat after all. And Logans bossyness made her body tingle with sensations. But she had not enough time to get back into her full-blast-heat-mode, as she heard Clementes voice on the speaker.

"What's your answer Max?" He asked, now not bothering himself with making small talk.

"We're going. Where and when?" she asked just as curtly.

"Midnight. Fairfield Airport. I'll be waiting there for you. 5 people tops." He said.

"Midnight it is. See you there. And Clemente – there better not be a trap waiting for us. You don't honestly think we come alone and unprepared?" Max fired back.

"Of course not. See you at midnight", with that he hung up the phone.

Max took a deep breath after hanging up. Something felt wrong. 

************************

_Logans__ crib:_

Logan was busy stuffing some cloth and other things into his bag. He was determined to go with Max no matter what anyone else was thinking. He needed to be there for her. And considering her condition she needed him to be there just as bad – if not worse. He looked around his little room to see if he had forgotten something. 

His eyes swept over the box that he had dumped on the floor earlier. His eyes widened for a second. He almost forgot them. He quickly picked up the box with the condoms, grabbed some and stuffed them in his pockets and dumped a couple of dozen more into the bag. He grinned and zipped it up, then he grabbed the bag swung it over his shoulders and made his way to Max sleeping quarters were he hoped she would be packing. With a swagger in his walk he made his way down the hallway.

************************

_Max crib:_

She was frantically throwing some stuff in her bag not really paying attention what she was packing. Not really caring either. She knew they had three hours before the plane left. Three hours in which she had to decide who else but her and Logan were going. Three hours were she had to justify to Mole and the rest of the gang why she had to bring Logan. Three hours to come up with some kind of a plan of action, security plan and Plan-B in case things went wrong. Three hours with so much to do and she just hoped to squeeze a little romp with Logan in. 

That's why she tried to hurry up packing, fuck Logan and get to the headquarters without any suspicions. Without even closing the bag she grabbed it and opened the door, stepped outside and was in the process of closing it behind her when she saw Logan swagger down the hallway towards her crib. He looked out of the windows on his right while approaching her door. Max waited patiently for 2 seconds before addressing him.

"Would you walk a little faster and get your ass in here?" she yelled at him across the hallway.

At her voice he turned to look at her. She was clutching her bag while standing under the doorframe, looking seriously flushed. He knew what she wanted and even though he knew they didn't have a lot of time he sure wouldn't deny her what she craved.

"Easy there Max" he said while pressing himself through the already occupied doorframe making sure his breath caressed her face on his way in. She inhaled sharply unable to move. She screamed at herself in her mind to control herself. But as she turned back around after closing the door shut and saw Logan taking his shirt off all control was lost.

She dropped the bag to the floor and literally jumped at him. He saw her coming and tried to stand or at least fall on the bed and not on the cold floor once she hit him. And he succeeded not to fall. He merely stumbled a few steps back till he hit the drawer behind him with Max securely tugged in his arms. She hungrily sucked his tongue in her mouth while she explored his upper body with her eager hands, all the while pressing and rubbing herself against him. 

After a few minutes of heavy making out Logan pushed Max away from him. Before she could protest she felt his hands on the hem of her shirt. "Time to get you out of your clothes."

She couldn't agree more and readily supported him in accomplishing his task. While she tried to take her boots off he tried to pull down her pants having already rid her off her shirt and bra. But his pulling and her pulling got in each others way and she stumbled back on just one foot till her back hit the door hard. 

"You take care of your pants and shoes and I work on mine." Logan said while working on his belt buckle while Max succeeded to take her boots off. "Sounds like a plan" she panted while finishing off where Logan left of on her pants. Finally pants-less she looked up to see Logan tossing his pants away looking at her with hungry eyes. 

"We don't have much time Logan" Max informed him with a shaky voice. She didn't just wanne pounce on him. Well no. That's exactly what she wanted. But she didn't want Logan to see her so out of control. Not that she had a lot of control over herself – or he over himself for that matter – when they were having sex while she was not in heat. But she figured she needed an excuse for rushing things to release. And technically it wasn't even an excuse. They really didn't have a lot of time. But she felt like she needed to give him some kind of warning. 

Logan saw that she was trying to hold back and keep somewhat control over herself. But he didn't want her to do it just out of consideration for him. He could take it. 

"Ready when you are. Give me all you have baby." Logan said and approached her. 

"Careful what you're wishing for big guy", Max said with a trembling voice letting her eyes roam over Logans nude form. And she liked what she saw. He was smoking hot and hard as hell and ready to go. He had already pulled a condom over his enormous errection. Nothing could stop them anymore. No more obstacles. Just them and their burning and aching desire for one another just waiting to be consumed and sated – for a little while.

That were the last thoughts Max had before she felt Logan press his body against her body and his hot lips against her lips. She simultaneously wrapped her legs and arms around Logan while he pressed even closer pushing her a little further up the door. They kissed hungrily. Moaning, humping, pressing, grabbing, and gasping for air letting out little desperate groans when they could not reach a certain spot of naked skin they intended to explore a little further. 

Logan moved his hands down to Max ass to lift her up a little higher. Max tightened her grip around his waist to assist him in staying in that position. His errection nestled at her center. Teasing her. Making her almost go crazy and scream with need. He loved to tease her some more. See how much she could take before she begged for him. But he suddenly remembered her heat and decided to play this game once she wasn't in heat anymore. 

So he broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. He saw desperate need and raw lust. He let his errection stroke her up and down while still staring in her eyes. She stared right back waiting for the inevitable to finally happen. And happen it did. 

With their eyes still glued together he lifted her up just a little further with his strong arms and hands grabbing her firm ass. Then he positioned himself at her entrance. He took another deep breath and then he let go of Max ass while at the same time shoot his hip fast and hard forward. Max felt herself slide down the door while she felt Logan slide into her. She instinctively grabbed his shoulders so she would not fall and loose him from inside of her when he shot his hips forward stopping her downward fall and ramming his errection deeper into her than she ever felt him go before. 

All the time Logan continued to stare at her. And when he was fully impaled he let out a primal groan while Max eyes shot close screaming his name out loud. She swore she could have come just from this one hard push and his pressing deep inside of her in order to keep her up the door. But he felt like moving. One of his hands grabbed her ass and one held on to her hip to keep her still giving him enough space to pull out and plunge in over and over again. 

He didn't intent to build a certain rhythm. All he wanted was to fuck her frequent and hard. So that was the rhythm he build. He pumped into her with an intensity that knocked the breath out of Max's lungs. But she really didn't need to breathe that bad. She needed this bad. She needed exactly what he gave her. A good hard and fast fuck. He didn't slow down. He kept his pace; pumping into her while biting her neck frequently. Max was in heaven this felt too good to be true. But she wouldn't last any longer if he kept up the pace. But that was okay. 

A few more hard thrusts and she was a goner. And so was he. He exploded inside her with a ferocity that was new to him but that he knew he had to experience more often. From far away he heard Max scream out his name and Gods followed by a tsunami of obscenities that would impress a sailor. She scratched his back and he would have screamed with pain if he weren't so busy screaming with pleasure. 

It took them a while to come back to reality. All the while Logan pressed Max to the door to keep her from sliding down. Once he was somewhat able to speak he lifted his head from Max' neck where it had rested for the past few minutes. Breathing out his exhaustion and breathing in her delicious sent. 

As she felt his head move Max forced herself to open her eyes. Their eyes met. And they smiled. It wasn't the grin they sometimes had on their faces after a round of hot and heavenly sex. It was a genuine smile. A smile that said thank you and your welcome in once. A smile that expressed so much love and no regrets.

"That was amazing", Max said still slightly out of breath while running her hand softly across his cheek. 

"It sure was. And I hope we repeat this soon", he said while kissing her gently.

Max broke the kiss quickly but with a groan. "If you keep this up it will repeat sooner than we both can afford. And as much as I would not mind to give in to it, we really have to go."

"I know. Let's get this bitch over with then", Logan said while gently letting Max down. "I hope they have comfortable beds in Canada." He said with a grin while putting his pants back on and looking for his shirt. 

"Like we need a bed", Max snorted getting dressed herself.

After all clothes were back in place and the bags were closed and shouldered they made their way to the command center. Now both a lazy swagger in their walk.

_AN: Hope you liked it. Let's have a little poll here. Where would you like the next heat execution to be? (other than the plane – that just seems too obvious – besides, it is already planned. But not written yet). So hit me with your best shot. Take care._

_Lfbrox___


	8. Mile High Club Members

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: NC-17

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J. 

_AN: Wow. It feels like the old times. Having all the 'old' people around me again. Havok, Sib. You just made my day. But also all the new one's. Or new to me, cause I haven't been around for a while. I must say. I feel really loved and it inspires me to go on. Thanks to all of you guys for reading my stuff and encouraging me to keep on going. To be an M/L shipper always had a lot to do with them being a couple in real life. Their chemistry had to come from somewhere right? So now that their in the on-again, off-again thingy – we need to stay strong in the struggle and keep M/L alive. I intend to do so. Even though some people call me (what was it Havok?) porn girl, it's all about their feelings – I just don't feel like becoming all sappy, cause it just wouldn't be them. Keep on reading and I'll keep on writing. Enough said. Let's get to it. I present: _

**Chapter 7:  Mile High Club Members**

_Headquarters (__10 pm__):_

There was a crowed gathered at the headquarters. They all wanted to witness what would happen next. They all wanted to know who would be going on that important trip to Canada and who would be left behind. Each and every one of them secretly hoped for another one of the all time classic Max vs. Mole fights on the all time classic topic: Logan. So they waited patiently for them to arrive. Mole was chewing on his cigar with his bag sitting packed next to him. Alec, who knew, why Max and Logan weren't there yet, also sat on his packed luggage. He figured he would go too. 

Then the door flew open and a visibly relaxed Max and Logan entered with bags shouldered. Max wanted them to leave the bags outside but Logan insisted that he would take his with him inside to show Mole, that he had no intention of staying here in Terminal City. Max could do nothing more than agree after he shut her arguments up with a heated kiss just before entering the headquarters. 

But as soon as they stepped in, all eyes were on them. Mole got up from his chair and huffed in their general direction. In that moment all the relaxation in Max body left her and she was tense again. Not from sexual excitement but from the knowledge that he would pick a fight soon, and that she had to come out as a winner. She knew he could not let it rest and she just wanted to get it over with. 

"So. I see you brought your boy toy along for the ride, huh?" Mole asked in a teasing but very offensive way.

Max took a deep breath. She chanted in her head to stay calm, play it cool and tell him once and for all who the boss was and who the decision maker was. But to her surprise she didn't have to defend Logans presence to Mole and the other staring transgenics. Because suddenly Alec jumped up from his chair. Well, he didn't really jump, but he stood up quickly enough to draw the attention to himself.

"Well. I made a lot of jokes about Max and Logan myself, I have to admit. But I think you oversee something really important here Mole." Alec said while approaching Mole who stood and watched Max and Logan – not even bothering to turn and listen to Alec before he heard his name. Then he abruptly turned and faced Alec.

"And what exactly am I missing here, pretty boy?" Mole asked angrily, glaring at Alec, who he thought was on his side when it came to Logan.

"That Logan is a hacker. He can hack into any computer or server –          or airport terminal." He said those last words really slowly which annoyed Mole even more.

"Let's face it. We cannot do his little hacker magic tricks that saved our asses on countless occasions. We need him there to either save us or cover up our tracks. I know you don't like him because he's only human, but that and his computer magic might be exactly what we need to survive this trip." Alec finished and turned to the crowed, pleased to see the majority of them nod in agreement.

"Fine. Let's take him then. Who else is going Max?" Mole said in defeat knowing that any more arguing would weaken his position among the nomelies because Alec was right. 

Max had to clear her throat before answering. Did Alec really just do what he did? She asked herself. She was impressed. So was Logan. But they still had to decide who's going and what skills were needed most on that mission – for it could be their last.

**_The warehouse – outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

They were meeting one last time before the plane went off in an hour. They selected the team and went through the plan of action. Renfro sat on the head of the square table listening to the commanding officer bark last commands to the group of soldiers that were being sent on the plane. They reviewed Clementes plan and went through all the best- and worst case scenarios. Renfro just listened. All the soldiers were just listening. Only commander Grand was talking. 

"Are we all clear?" Grand yelled.

"Yes sir." The group barked back.

"Is there anything else?" Grand barked not really expecting anything other than a 'no sir'. But then Victor got up.

"I don't trust Clemente", Victor said. He was a big guy and he didn't care about anybody elses feelings and even reveled in the pain of others. But saying this out loud caused his heart to beat a little. You do not raise doubts before a mission. But something told him to say it. So he did.

"I beg you pardon soldier?" commander Grand yelled at him and stepped into Victors personal space. "We did not put you on this team to elaborate on your gut feeling soldier. You are on the team to kill, and return in victory.             Is that clear?!" Grand yelled even louder.

Victor was just about to bark his usual 'yes sir' to the commander, when a voice cut through the room. They all heard her voice before. Some of them heard her voice everyday. But in this spacious room, her mechanical voice sounded like a command received right from hell – or worse.

"I want to hear him out", Renfro rasped into the room, which made the commander shut up and the soldiers gasp.

"What do you mean you don't trust him?" her voice echoed through the room.

Victor was caught off guard. Renfro never spoke to anyone in person and now she was looking at him. He wasn't allowed to look at her so he looked just past her onto the nearby white wall, cleared his throat and started to formulate coherent thought while talking at the same time.

"I think his only interest is getting out of this whole deal. No matter what it takes. He would tell anybody anything to save his and his sorry families ass. I think he tipped the transgenic chick off and we are the ones walking into a trap and not the other way around. Or maybe he's playing all of us. I don't know what it is. But I don't trust him." Victor finished quite proud of himself.

"What do we know about Clemente?" Renfro asked, turning to commander Grand.

"We checked is record. He's clean. Clean besides this little dirty mistake he made that made him our willing slave – just to save his marriage and family. He has no connection to the freaks whatsoever. What do you want us to do now?" Grand asked.

"Well. In case he really tipped her of. Let's reverse his plan. Or at least do something that was not planned in Clementes original plan." Renfro rasped and gestured commander Grand to come closer – an evil smile playing on her burned features. 

***********************

**_Headquarters (_****_11pm_****_):_**

"So this is it. Mole, Alec, Logan, Syl and I are going. No further discussion needed. Are you guys all packed and ready to go?" Max asked relieved that everything went so smooth – irritated that it was Alec who solved most of the problem.

"All packed and ready", Alec, Syl and Logan replied. Mole just grunted a little.

"Good. Then let's get armed and get going." Max said and moved towards the weapons corner of the headquarters.

**********************

**_Fairfield_********_Airport_****_ (almost _****_midnight_****_):_**

Max, Logan, Alec, Mole and Syl arrived at the airport 15 minutes before midnight. The plane engines were already running and Clemente and the soldiers, that were dressed as officers, were waiting there with their bags in a pile in front of them. 

Max and Co. exited their vehicle and opened the trunk to unload their bags in a similar pile in front of them. Max approached Clemente who started to walk toward her. 

"Max", Clemente nodded.

"Detective", Max nodded back just as distant. "If you don't mind, we need to check the plane first." Max said to Clemente and nodded to Alec and Mole to go and check the plane for weapons, hidden soldiers and other suspicious devices. Mole and Alec nodded back and jumped into the plane, weapons in their hands.

"Fine", Clemente answered, "But no weapons on the plane. This meeting is supposed to end in a solution and not in a blood bath."

"Fine with me. I'm not big on weapons anyway" Max replied and turned around to nod at Logan and Syl to check Clemente's troops bags. At the same time 2 of Clemente's men went to the transgenic bag pile to check for weapons.

While Alec and Mole were searching the plane and Syl and Logan and Clementes guys checked the bags, Max stepped closer to Clemente.

"This better don't be a trick Clemente. Because if we don't come back you might as well put a gun to your head and pull the trigger, cause all hell will be loose if Terminal City just get's the impression that we were played. This is your last chance to do the right thing." Max said taking another step toward him. "So if there is  anything you want to tell me right now, then do it."

Clemente swallowed hard, which Max didn't miss. Even though she was in heat, her instincts were as sharp as ever now. She was on adrenaline and her gut told her something was wrong. She didn't trust Clemente, but she knew that he wasn't one to spill blood – transgenic or human – if he could possibly avoid it.

"Max", Clemente started, knowing that Renfro and her team and all the soldiers that were with him on the airport watched not only his every move but also every move he did not make. So he tried to keep a calm voice. "We are all here to find a solution. We are here to prevent this thing from turning into a ridiculous and avoidable war. Both parties want to settle this without escalations." He said and sounded convincing – even to Max. But then he added: "Man, if it was on me, I would have stopped this insane hatred right in it's core." While saying this he opened his eyes just a little wider while staring into Max' eyes, putting a special emphasis on the words Man and Core.

That's all Max needed to hear. Even though he did it very subtle, Max picked it up. A person without Max' enhanced hearing and sensing would have never taken his last sentence as anything else but a normal conversation. Manticore was behind this. She knew something was wrong. But even her gut didn't expect Manticore. She expected a police kidnap or an arrest. She knew that in order to win this battle they could not back out now. She wanted it to be over once and for all. And if Manticore was behind all the hatred-spreading, behind all the bad news about the transgenics, then this was her chance to finish this fight once and for all. She didn't know what the plan was, but she knew they had to be careful, and come up with a counter plan. 

"Good then. Then let's get this show on the road." Max said. Then she stepped away from Clemente and walked towards Logan and Syl.

"All clear?" Max asked.

"No weapons. Seems like they are clear", Logan said, picking up Max uneasiness. He wanted to say something, but figured it could wait till they had a moment alone.

After Clemente made sure that Max team's bags were clean they turned towards the plane, just in time when Alec and Mole jumped out.

"No surprises here" Alec said.

"What about bugs?" Logan asked.

"Couldn't really tell. But it's a short flight. It'll be okay", Alec said, glancing at Mole who was surprisingly quiet.

"Let's board then", Clemente said and walked towards the stairs to enter the plane. His "officers" followed him. Max signaled for her team to follow. They all turned and walked towards the door, but Logan was staying behind waiting for Max.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

She walked over to him and took his hand and faced him. "Everything is fine, Logan." She said while squeezing his hand just a little too hard. He got the hint. Something was wrong, but it was time to shut up and get on the plane. He would find out soon enough what it is.

************************

**_Warehouse – outside _****_Seattle_****_:_**

"They are ready for take-off director Renfro", Commander Grand informed her. "No weapons on board. The bugs are in place and haven't been detected. Transmission works fine."

"What about Clemente?" Renfro rasped.

"Nothing, director. She was suspicious but he convinced her, that our motives are honorable and full of peace." Commander Grand finished with a grin.

"Excellent. And he doesn't know anything? Doesn't suspect anything?" Renfro asked, her voice sounding even more evil when combined with the devilish grin on her face.

"He's clueless", Commander Grand confirmed. Then he laughed a little sadistic laugh, "They are all clueless."

If Renfro's burned skin would have allowed it, she would have opened her mouth wide and would have laughed that same sadistic laugh. But as she was limited in her facial expressions, she could only manage a chuckle low in her throat, that didn't sound too intimidating. But for the first time in month she had a shining in her eyes, that wasn't caused from pain, but from sheer evil pleasure.

***************************

**_Inside the plane: (right after take-off)_**

Clemente and his team sat in the front of the plane, right behind the cockpit. Max and the others sat further away in the back of the plane. Neither Clemente nor Max felt like starting their little "peace-talk" right now in the plane. Max needed space and time to think, and come up with a way to talk to her fellow team members about her new findings, without saying it out loud. But she didn't know, if there were bug or cameras on the plane, and she could not risk exposure right now. 

Clemente on his side, didn't want to start talking the talk right away either. He had too much on his mind. Did Max get his little hint? If not, was it for the better that she didn't? Would he pay with his life for that, or even worse his family? He hoped that everything would work out well. And in case Max picked up his little hint, he wanted to give her time to react properly to the information. He knew there were bugs on the plane, but he could not tip her off again. What he did had to be enough. He figured she would be smart enough to know herself.

****

**_25 later in the back of the plane:_**

Alec was snoozing a little, Mole was still glaring, Syl had her eyes closed going through combat drills in her head, Logan was typing on his computer and Max was staring out of the window. Rain was pouring against it and when she tried hard enough, she almost felt like she was back at Logan's penthouse, staring out of the window, over the broken city, thinking dark thoughts while Logan tried to save the world from his computer room. For a little while she granted herself those thoughts. Familiar, warm. Home – to her. But then she had to drag her mind back to the problems she had right now. She needed to talk to Logan. But she knew that every word they were saying was probably recorded and evaluated. So talking was not an option. 

After another minute of thinking she sat up straight, pushed the display of Logan's laptop down, putting it in stand-by. Logan looked up in confusion and was about to open his mouth to ask what the matter was, when Max got up and signaled him to follow her.

****

**_In the plane's bathroom:_**

Max opened the door of the bathroom and dragged Logan inside, then she shut and locked the door. She pushed him against the door and kissed him hard, before pulling back. She still had a firm grip on his collar, and while panting she moved closer, pressing her body against his. He tried to kiss her but she pulled her head back slightly and arched her eyebrows – but not in a playful, teasing manner.

That was Logans hint to play along. He didn't know what game she was playing, but he knew something other than the heat has gotten to her. He wanted to ask her what the problem was, but he knew that someone else was listening to each and every word they were saying – maybe even watching them. So he did what he thought he was supposed to. He waited for Max to fill him in.

Max smiled seductively. She didn't know, if they were being watched, or if 'they' just listened. Better expect the worst. So she let her hand trail from Logans' shirt collar down to his manhood. She grabbed him hard and moved her face closer to him while constantly staring into his eyes.

"Something is UP Logan", she said and squeezed his dick. He wasn't hard yet and he understood that this was her attempt to fill him in – not her attempt to turn him on. Sex was the last thing on his mind at that moment, even though Max massaging his penis roughly through his pants didn't make that an easy thing to do. He knew something was wrong from the beginning. He expected it. Now he knew it. Knew something was up.

He knew that they couldn't talk about it. He knew that they were being watched. So he played along. He leaned forward and kissed her deep. Then he withdrew. 

"So what are we going to do about that?" He asked her while leaning in for another kiss.

Max knew he got her message and she was wrecking her brain, thinking how she could tell him that Manticore was behind this without tipping 'the listeners' off. And him kissing her, him grinding his now hard penis in her manipulating hand, him smelling so good, him tasting so good didn't help in the process of thinking. She was still in heat, and her body reacted that way. She tried to force her mind to think, but the heat was stronger. She leaned forward and kissed him fiercely. 

"Take your cloth off" she said after releasing his mouth. She was working on her own belt buckle, ridding herself off her cloth while still thinking about how to tell him that Manticore was behind this, and how Clemente tipped her off and how she didn't know what their plan was but that it must be bad, if not straight out cruel and evil.

Logan didn't know how to help her so did as he was told. He undressed, and as soon as he stood naked in front of her she attacked is mouth. She kissed him passionately while pulling him backwards until her bare ass hit the sink. She released his mouth and looked at him. He was breathing heavily and had a look of fierce passion. But there was something else. He looked curiously and she knew he waited for her to tell him something.

"Will the sink do?" she asked him breathlessly.

Without a word he grabbed her and positioned her on the sink. His errection was caressing her slick folds and his hands were busy torturing her taunt nipples.

Max was enjoying herself tremendously, but she knew that she had to say something soon or she would be too far gone to even care. So she took a deep breath and started to speak.

"The people from Manticore would be so disappointed when they knew one of their soldiers was so easy to distract during a mission", she huffed in his ear while he kissed her neck. At the mentioning of Manticore and that little extra scratch on his back while saying the word Logan forgot her neck and what he was doing and looked up.

"Man…", was all he could say before she silenced his all too talkative lips with a burning kiss.  Then she positioned his head back to her neck.

"Yes baby", she moaned answering his unfinished question.

"Would you get to it Logan. We don't have a lot of time" Max demanded. She really intended to say that with the sole reason of informing him, that they had to react quickly if they didn't want to die tonight. But her heat was still in full blast and Logans grinding and nipping and groping had gotten the better of her. She figured she'd done her job of informing him and deserved a reward. 

Logans mind was racing. That was some piece of information he wasn't prepared for. Manticore was behind all that. He knew that all of Seattle, maybe all of northern America hated the transgenics and wanted to see them dead. He knew, that Clemente was not exactly their friend, but he always thought he was a fair guy. Turned out he was just a regular bad guy himself. Gaining Max' trust to sell her to Manticore and kill the rest of them afterwards.

He wondered where she got the information from. He kissed from her neck to her mouth and after a quick kiss looked her in the eyes. He didn't object, when Max was pulling on his hips moving him closer to her hot core, but he still wanted more information.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Logan. I'm in heat, how can you possibly ask me if I'm sure. I told you. Get to it!!" Max was getting a little impatient. They were kissing and grinding for minutes now. She really, really needed him badly. She pulled at his hips while trying to mover her hips forward a little and wrapping her legs around his waist. A desperate groan escaped her throat, when she felt Logan pull back again.

"No, Max. I mean. Are you SURE?" he said while staring in her eyes intently. 

"Oh", was all Max could response after realizing, that he was not talking about sex. She had to laugh a little at how ridiculous that all was. She hoped those people were watching. They sure got an eyeful. And she hoped that because of that they wouldn't concentrate on every little thing they were saying. Because even to her this conversation sounded a little strange for lovers to have before having sex.

"Yes Logan. I'm sure. Now hush and hurry up. Clemente might get suspicious about where we're disappeared to." She said with a wink.

"Okay", Logan said, hoping he now knew everything she wanted to tell him. With a sigh of relief he braced his hands on either side of the sink while settling back in between her thighs. She swung her arms around his neck and engaged him in a deep and passionate kiss while using her legs, that were still locked around his waist to pull him closer and inside of her. With him pushing and her pulling they were joined in a split second. The feeling was so intense that Max had to break the kiss. She through her head back in ecstasy and let out a loud scream.

***********************

**_In the back of the plane:_**

"Did you just hear that?" Syl asked waking up from her little doze. She had noticed Max and Logan getting up, but didn't really pay attention on how long they were gone. But that sound woke her up instantly.

"Relax Syl", Alec said clearly annoyed. "It's just your sister – the leader of this little operation here – screwing her boyfriend in the bathroom." Syl had to grin at that. She had no idea why Alec sounded so annoyed. But she was just amused. Let her little sister have some fun.

**********************

**_The warehouse - outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

They were all gathered in the conference room where they had the TV with the satellite pictures from the plane set up. Victor, some soldiers, commander Grand and Renfro. All staring at the TV in disbelief. 

"What the hell is going on there?" Grand yelled to no one in particular.

"She's ruining our lives", Renfro said defeated and wheeled herself out of the room, clearly disgusted and disappointed. 

The mechanical doors closed behind her and she stopped her chair to stare out of the little window into the dark. "I was so close", her raspy mechanical voice whispered into the empty room. "But I will not give up now."

_AN: There you go. You're update. And Havok aren't you proud of me? No porn in that one. Are you sure this is what you want? Because there's always the next chapter. __J__  And Sib. Looking forward to your rambling review. _

_Hope you all liked it guys. It took a while to write it and it didn't come out exactly like I wanted it. I wanted to be much more hilarious in the bathroom scene. But that's what came out and I hope you still want more._

_Lfbrox_


	9. Sky high in trouble

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) and the virus is finally gone. Max and Logan are a couple J. 

_AN: I tried to update on Christmas, but sorry – didn't work out.  Thanks for the reviews. I hope you keep reading and keep reviewing. When I started writing fanfiction for Dark Angel I never dreamed in my wildest dreams, that we would still be this active 'years' after the show was cancelled. I'm in for the ride as long as people write and talk about dark angel. So here is your delayed little Christmas gift. Unwrap it and you will find…._

**Chapter 8:  Sky high in trouble**

**_The back of the plane:_**

Exactly 28 minutes after they disappeared, Max and Logan emerged from the bathroom and sat back down in their seats. They looked a little flushed and they were still breathing a little harder than usually and their cloth still needed some adjustment. But after they were done, they figured they might as well get out and try to find out as much as they can, as they had no idea when 'it' was going to happen. And the simple fact that they also didn't know what that evil 'it' was made them a little nervous too. 

So they recovered for a minute, put their cloth back on and hurried out. Logan immediately placed his laptop on his lap and booted it up. Max tried to fix her hair and looked in the direction where Clemente and his people were sitting. She intentionally looked over there trying to see if something funny and suspicious was going on. But to be honest, she knew Alec, Mole and Syl were staring at her and Logan. Mole with annoyance and disgust. Alec kinda looked sad and seemed more distant. Syl had a saucy grin plastered on her face looking from Max to Logan and back to Max, sensing how uncomfortable Max felt which just widened her grin. She just found it to be too cute.

But Max couldn't stare towards the front of the plane forever. Eventually she figured she had to look them in the eyes. So she turned towards them. She didn't feel like actually dealing with Mole right now. And she had no idea what Alecs' dealio was. So she just turned towards Syl, returned the grin for a second before glaring at here playfully. 

"Just shut up sis." She said before Syl could even open her mouth. 

"I did not say a word Maxie", Syl returned. "Whatever could I say? You go girl", then she turned to Logan who pretended to be engrossed in his computer work. But then again. It was Logan, so he probably didn't even pretend.

"And what are you working on so hard? Shouldn't you be sleepy?" Syl asked Logan with a grin. When Logan noticed, that he was spoken to he lifted his head a little and looked at Syl.

"Sorry. What did you say?" He muttered.

"Nothing Logan. You hit the jackpot there Maxie, didn't ya. Hard to exhaust", Syl said with a wink in Max direction. Logan looked a little lost. Did he miss something or did suddenly everybody talk in code.

"I told you to shut up Syl", Max warned Syl, who just grinned and turned to look at the screen of Logan's laptop.

Max watched as Logan tried to work on his computer without pulling up any info that looked suspicious to the eyes of the not so innocent bystanders – or by'lookers'. He couldn't really do anything without alerting them, that they knew something. So he just pulled up some files without really knowing what he was doing. But he hoped it would come to him sooner or later. And he desperately hoped it'll be sooner.

Then all of a sudden, Max jumped up from her seat and grabbed Logan's laptop from him. He looked up in confusion. 

"Get up Logan", she ordered.

"Max", Logan said in a desperate voice. "Again?"

Max saw the shock on his face. So cute. She just grinned and shook her head.

"Sit in my seat Logan, I need to check something real quick." She said and sat down in his seat as he slumped down in hers, feeling a little relieved and a little stupid too. She may be in heat, but she was still Max. And even through some sex clouded moments she was still focused. So he sat there and relaxed a little more until he caught Max's eyes. She was trying to tell him something. 

There. She did it again. But what does it mean? What does she want? He might be smart, intelligent and normally quick to pick up things – but he was no mind reader. Neither was Alec, but he also caught Max' look and knew, she wanted a few seconds where no one paid a lot of attention to what she was doing. Distraction. That's what she wanted. That's what she shall get. 

He turned to Logan and punched him in the arm.

"Hey. What was that all about? Are you nuts" Logan yelped in surprise and rubbed his arm, where Alec had hit him hard. "What's your problem man?"

"You wanne know what my problem is?" Alec asked him back to win some time. "I tell you what my problem is." Syl looked a little confused and wanted to interfere, but Max laid a hand on her arm signaling her not to do anything. Mole sat up in his seat, crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back, finally starting to enjoy this trip a little.

All the attention was drawn to Alec and Logan. Just what Max wanted. She quickly pulled up a new, blank document, changed the font color to white and minimized the window. Then her hands started to fly over the keyboard. She typed fast while all the while looking at Alec and Logan, pretending to watch the argument with as much interest as the others did.

"We're on a mission here Logan. You can screw around with Max and her head, when you do your little hero thing at home. When all the lives that are at stake are yours and hers. Well, mostly hers I believe. But we're here as a team, and when just one soldier thinks of something other than the team and the mission, then that is bad. So would you mind to suppress your urges until we're back and safe? I don't want to risk my life because you could not get your sleazy hands of my sister." Alec spat at Logan. It all started out as a mission to distract everyone, but at the end, Alec had to admit, that he meant what he said. He knew Max was in heat, and he knew, that Logan was just there to help her through it, but still. He was kinda pissed at Logan and finally had a chance to free his anger.

Mole sat there and nodded in agreement. Syl wanted to say something, but decided not to. So it was just Logan to defend himself. 

"What has gotten into you, Alec? Out of everybody in this plane you should know best what it feels like. Right? Aren't you the poster boy of your little club? Weren't you the one to 'oh so selflessly' volunteer to go on that first trip to the "all-inclusive-penthouse"? Aren't you the one who wanted to risk the safety of all of Terminal City by brining in some 'company'? Or trying to get guys out to some neighborhood bar, where you used to pick up your newest girls. Am I not right Alec? Now please. Would you repeat what you said before, or can we just sit back and relax a little more until we're in Canada." Logan finished.

"Do you accuse me of screwing all over town without even a tiniest bit of a conscience or responsibility", Alec replied, angry now. Okay, he accused Logan of screwing with Max head and not considers anybody else but himself, but that was kinda appropriate after that bathroom number. 

Max was finished with typing and listened to the conversation now with the same interest as anyone else. She certainly did not think her little distraction mission could turn into a serious fight. And such an interesting fight even.

"Conscience? Responsibility? I'm sorry Alec. I really think you are a nice guy and have more sense of what is wrong and right than most of the people in TC might think you are capable of. But without Sam, Sketchy and me you would have clearly done something more on the wrong and totally idiotic side. Now wouldn't you agree Alec?" Logan stated in a calm voice that made Alec's rage rise a few notches.

"God you have no idea Logan, have you?" Alec yelled and got up from his seat. "I didn't even sleep with that fucking hooker. I told her….", after realizing what he just said, Alec shut up and sat back down. He slipped – big time. He swore never to tell a soul that he did not fuck her. He even paid her 100% of the money, just so she would shut up about it. And now his fucking anger makes him yell it out in front of everybody. Everybody who he didn't want it to hear.

"What are you saying Alec?" Logan asked. "What did you tell her?"

"Forget it Logan. Forget I mentioned it." Alec said and stared out of the window into the dark. For him, this conversation was over, and he wanted everyone to be clear about that.

"Alec?", Max asked in a quiet voice.

"I said forget it. This conversation is over. Just….forget it." With that he crossed his hands in front of his chest, leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

Logan just looked over at Mole, who stared at Alec in disbelieve. Alec had spent 3 whole days bragging about how hard he gave it to that hooker and how she begged him for a break. And now he tells them, that he didn't even touch that girl at all. What a pathetic looser. 

Max looked at Logan with confusion, but soon focused on the fact, that that little fight was meant to distract everyone who was listening. And it worked. Slowly she turned the screen a little more towards Syl and nudged her in the arm with her elbow.

"What?" Syl asked and looked at the screen. She saw about 5 different windows open and was not sure which one Max wanted her to look at. Max pointed to the one in the upper left corner. An article about Seattle and the transgenics. But Syl noticed, that while Max was pointing at that article, she was looking at the small blank window next to the window with the article. Syl focused her vision on the blank sheet and with her enhanced vision, she was able to make out the text Max had typed – invisible for the human and the nomlies eyes.

Syl read the text quickly. Then she kicked Alec and shoved the laptop on his lap. He tried to push her away, but Syl insisted that Alec had to read that article. Alec got the hint, and began to read. After a few seconds he closed the laptop and looked up.

"Oh boy", was all he could say, and everybody but Mole slightly nodded their heads.

********************************

**_The warehouse - outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

"Are they all going fucking crazy? What is this: Highschool? I thought we are up against some tough as nails soldiers who could easily take out an army without breaking a sweat. But what is this shit? Making out in the bathroom, teasing sibling behavior, fights about who sleeps with whom? You gotta be kidding me?" Grand screamed after watching the scene. 

"That is their biggest weakness. And our biggest risk. I hope it's not too late yet. We need to move quickly. Get me 452. We cannot afford to loose time", Renfro rasped from the back, surprising everyone. Then she looked at the screen in disgust, "Not after this."

"You heard her soldiers. Get 452 after the plane lands, we worry about the others later." Grand yelled and watched his soldiers disappear into the weapon room to get 'loaded'. Then he turned to Renfro, who still sat in her wheelchair – well, it was more of a power-scooter – in the back of the room, watching the group from Terminal City sit there, exchanging glances – but nothing more.

"Director Renfro", Grand started carefully, "May I ask what the rush here is? Why not stick with the plan? We capture 452 on their way back and then blow up the plane. We might be asking for trouble here. They are supposed to report back to the Seattle police and governor as soon as they have landed and sat down for the negotiations. They might get suspicious in Seattle. Why the rush?" Grand blurted out, unable to hold back his concern.

"We cannot wait any longer. I have waited too long for this. I don't want to see one human destroying everything me and my people worked for over centuries. I want her now." Renfro answered in a distant and even thoughtful manner before returning back to her 

**************************

**_A small airport near _****_Vancouver_****_:_**

"Position yourself soldiers", Grand ordered and the 15 soldiers in camouflage and heavily armed jumped out of the SUV and disappeared into the night and surrounding bushes. Then Grand ordered the SUV to drive to a little hangar, so it could not be seen from the approaching plane. He checked with is men to make sure they were all positioned right and were ready and the transmission worked. Then he checked in with the headquarters. 

"Grand here. Soldiers positioned and in alert. Over." He spoke in his walky-talky. 

"Roger", Victor answered from the headquarters. "Nothing new inside the plane. They all just sit and glare at each other. Over."

"Very good", Grand smiled. "Looks like they took care of the distraction themselves. What did the little needy-greedy one say in the bathroom? Manticore would be so disappointed? Not at all sugar. Keep those hips rolling." He said with an even more sarcastic laugh. Victor and some of the guys joined him in that laughter. Max, or 452 as they called her at the headquarters, had a hot body. Add to it, that she was needy and talked dirty and you had yourself a whole bunch of soldier boys that felt a little greedy themselves. 

No one paid attention to what was said in the scene in the bathroom. Not even Grand, who should know better. But all in all, the scene was hot and everybody but Renfro was only paying attention to Max – ahm, 452. One of the soldiers dared to call her Max, after he figured to be much more familiar with her after seeing her naked, and Renfro snapped and yelled at him. 

So they all sat in the bushes, eager to get their hands on 452 and maybe pat the civilian's – Logan's – back in recognition. The plane was scheduled to land in 30 minutes.

*******************************

**_The back of the plane:_**

The 5 of them sat in silence. Alec was pissed at himself for letting his secret slip out. Mole just sat there huffing and puffing but not saying a word. Alec, his only ally on this trip turned out to be a pathetic looser. Besides. Mole was the only one not knowing of the trouble they supposedly were in. He had no enhanced sight to read the laptop document, and no one really liked him too much as to give him the same bathroom version Max gave Logan. Speaking of which. Logan was still thinking about the fight Alec, he thought about a plan how to get out of this situation too– but just a little bit. His primary thought was, that he might be in trouble soon the way Max was eying him. 

And true. Max didn't think about the big bad evil either. Of course she tried to, but every time she had an idea of how to deal with this mess, in the vision of fighting the bad evil Logan appeared. Shirtless most of the time. And then of course he had to sit right in front of her. Looking yummier by the second the way he nervously shifted around in his seat. Does he know what she is thinking? Of course he does. He could read her like a book. 

Syl seemed to be the only one who was wrecking her brain trying to come up with a plan on how to figure out what was wrong. She looked around and saw that there was not a lot of thinking going on in her teams' heads. So she turned towards Max who sat in the seat next to her, just in time to see her giving Logan a saucy grin. That was enough. As cute as those to were. They sill had a mission. She shoved her elbow hard and fast into Max' ribcage and gave her a stern look.

"Gutter", was all Syl could say before turning her attention to Alec who snapped out of his musing after a hard kick from her. He yelped in surprise and passed the kick on to Logan who just turned to him and hissed "was that really necessary Alec. I got it, I got it."

Satisfied that they were all thinking – except for Mole who was still clueless, but picked up that something was wrong – Max took over command again and searched everybody's eyes for a sign of a plan. She lingered a little longer on Logan's baby blues and was rewarded with another elbow in her ribs by her lovely sister. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stop doing that Syl", Max answered annoyed.

Syl was just about to say something, when she and Max saw Alec and Logan tense across from them and sat up a little more. They turned their heads to see what was going on and saw Clemente approaching them.

TBC

_AN: Merry, merry delayed Christmas everyone. Hope you liked it. Hopefully next month, when I'm on a trip for a few weeks I have a lot of time and muse to write some more. Or maybe you get another update even before this year is over. Who knows? I doubt it though. But I try. Have a happy new year everybody. Let's make the next one as good as this one. Or maybe even a little better. Love._

_Lfbrox_


	10. Closer to Canada

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) 

_AN: And again sorry. This is a little something, just so you don't forget about me. I should really stick with the fluff, cause the action/plot part just takes too freaking long for me to write. So here is a little chapter. Be patient with me __J___

**Chapter 9: Closer to ****Canada******

_………They turned their heads to see what was going on and saw Clemente approaching them._

"We are going to land soon", Clemente said.

"Where are we going then?" Logan requested.

"We are going to a government facility near the airport. There, we will contact the Seattle police and Terminal City to report our arrival. First thing tomorrow morning we will start our negotiations." Clemente finished.

"Who will be waiting at the airport to bring us to that facility?" Max asked while searching in Clementes eyes for some kind of warning. Some kind of hidden message. But she saw nothing.

"They left a van at the airport for us. We're going down in 25 minutes. Get ready" That said Clemente turned and went back to the disguised Manticore soldiers.

Max and the rest of the team just looked at each other confused. What was that?

********************************

**_The warehouse - outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

"What did he just say? Did he just warn them?" cracked Grand's voice through the walky-talky. 

Victor looked confused at the other soldiers that were gathered around the screen who just shrugged their shoulders.  Just then Renfro rolled into the room.  

"Victor. Do you copy? Did Clemente just warn the freaks?" Grand yelled again into the walky-talky to make sure they heard him loud and clear.

"What is going on?" Renfro rasped behind them.

"I don't know, Director Renfro", Victor addressed her then he turned to the other soldiers. "Replay the last conversation." Then he grabbed the walky-talky and pressed the button to answer Grand – better not make him ask that question again. "We replay the last minute sir. Just a second. Over." Then he pressed the play button.

_"……….airport to bring us to that facility?"___

_"They left a van at the airport for us. We're going down in 25 minutes. Get ready" _

They replayed it again.

_"We're going down in 25 minutes. Get ready" _

The room went silent. They all just looked at one another. Victor made no move to answer Grand on the walky-talky. 

"So what", Renfro broke the silence, "This doesn't change our plan. Get me 452 and make sure Clemente does not leave this plane alive." With that she rolled away.

After the door closed, Victor picked up the walky-talky to inform Grand.

"General Grand. Sounds like he did warn them. Director Renfro ordered to execute the plan without alteration. And she ordered to have Clemente executed before he attempts to leave the plane. Over." Victor reported.

"Roger. We capture 452. You contact the board staff and order Clementes execution. Make sure they do it quickly so Clemente doesn't have time again to tip them off. Over." Grands voice cracked through the speakers. Then there was silence. The conversation seemed to be over for him.

Victor turned to the soldiers standing next to him. "What channel is the one for the board-team?" He huffed to no one in particular.

"Channel 3, Sir." The youngest and most eager soldier answered. Victor nodded and turned the walky-talky channel to 3. He was slightly nervous and if he had been alone now, he would have taken a minute to figure out what exactly to say or to consider what could go wrong. But with the other soldiers around he didn't allow his nervousness to show. After all. He was 'their General Grand' if the real one wasn't around. He controlled his shaking hands and moved the walky-talky towards his mouth. Then he looked around the desk in front of him looking for something but not finding it there.

"Were the hell is the god damn sound-wave device" he yelled. "Or maybe I should just use the on-board speakers and announce it so everybody can listen." He yelled even louder. He cleared his throat. He didn't intent to sound so squeaky and nervous but he couldn't help himself. His gut told him that something would go awfully wrong. And he almost blew it himself by speaking to the board-staff without drowning out the sound-waves the contact would create – therefore tipping of the freaks himself. **_Get a grip soldier. _**He told himself after snatching the device from one of the soldiers.

After a deep breath, that he could not hold in – even though he tried he moved the walky-talky yet again towards his mouth and pressed the button that allowed him to speak.

"Team-2. Execute Clemente before he can leave the plane. Let the prey exit first then kill the traitor. I don't want any mistakes. Over." With that he ended the order. He dropped the intercom and the device and barked some orders to the others to get the video surveillance at the airport ready. Finally by himself he let out the breath he was holding.

*************************

_In the plane: (20 minutes prior to landing)_

The soldiers on board, who were seated with Clemente in the front of the plane heard the order and then silence as their in-ear intercom went dead again. The order was clear. They were trained soldiers who learned how to handle themselves in situations like that. No flinching, no eye-contact with anyone of the team, not a move at all. They were trained well.

But they were no Manticore soldiers. No X5's who picked up on things most people wouldn't even notice if replayed again in slow-motion. They had been warned and trained on the behavior of Manticore soldiers.

But one soldier did sit up straighter. One tried to glance nonchalantly out of the window – but failed. And one soldier even flinched for a split second after first hearing Victors voice. They were all aware that they slipped big time but figured not one of the Manticore killing-machines had noticed. Not from that distance and not for that split second.

And none of them did. Logan was busy packing up his computer stuff. Alec was busy trying to avoid Moles glare. Max was really busy checking out the muscles in Logans arms as he lifted and shifted laptop, bags and stuff around. And Syl was busy ramming her elbow repeatedly in Max ribcage which ended in a sister-sister glaring competition.

They each were so wrapped up in their personal hormone and/or emotion driven self that they didn't notice Clementes – maybe even unintentional – warning. Nor did they notice the soldiers' reaction to Clementes upcoming execution. They were everything but focused on the mission. They may have signed two death-verdicts – theirs and Clementes – but they were just too busy to know. Maybe too human to know.

_AN: Told ya it's short. But the in the next Chapter they will definitely land in __Canada__. Then you will all know where or how they end up. I wish I already knew. But it'll come. Patience in all things my friends._


	11. Lets get outta here

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) 

_AN:. So for all the people who reviewed my story: Thanks a bunch. I love hearing (reading) what you think. By the way: Havoc, Sib, you still owe me a review for the last chapter. For the 4 reviewers I had, this Chapter is for you. And as I am so grateful for those 4 I take the opportunity to thank you all in person. _

_Thanks **'smee'** for being my 100th and 101st reviewer. Keep it coming even though you have nothing to say. **idlehands452**: sorry but no sneaking and fluffing in that one. But I promise you the next one will be right up your alley. **Max Guevera Cale**: Max is only lusting after __Logan__ because she (insert romantic tune here) "loves him like no other genetically-engineered killing-machine ever loved a cyber-journalist with a secret identity". So MGC here is some action. Maybe not enough, but as much as I could come up with. _**Agmgdafan**: _I hate unfinished things. And if I have to live 100 years, I will not abandon a story. There is going to be an ending – it might suck or not – but it will take the time that it takes. Thanks you guys for reviewing. Take some time to do it for that chapter too. After all. My first chapter that is not fluff or smut. Keep me going._

**Chapter 10:  Let's get outta here**

**_A small airport near _****_Vancouver_****_:_**

The soldiers heard the sound of the approaching plane. They checked if their guns were loaded and ready to go and nodded confirmative to the leader of their tag team. They had their orders and they knew they had to execute the mission as planned. They were ready.

**_Inside the plane:_**

Clemente buckled his seat belt and took a deep breath. Anything and everything could happen in the next 15 minutes. He'd wished he knew which direction this operation would turn out. He figured he would get a chance to warn Max and her crew during their negotiations and keep them from running into the Manticore trap on their way back to the US. But somehow he had the feeling that he would find out sooner rather than later, that Manticore wasn't someone to make fixed plans with. He knew, that when they clued him in on the plan about this operation and his role in it, that he was just as much a clueless victim than the TC-Group. But now. A few minutes before the plane landed, he was acutely aware of the fact that he did not trust them. Acutely aware of the fact that he himself had not given them any reason to trust him. Therefore he knew that whatever would happen after the plane landed in Canada would neither be pleasant for him and his well being, nor for Max's' and her crew. But there was nothing he could do now.

****************

In the back of the plane Max, Logan, Syl, Alec and a still pissed off Mole waited for the landing. Max had asked Logan to change seats with her once he finished packing up his stuff. She wasn't sure if her ribcage could survive any more of her sister's elbows without harm. Logan didn't mind. The idea of getting away from a pissed off Alec was quite to his liking. So while he buckled his seatbelt and got ready for the landing – he just hated flying – the others just tried to ignore one another and stared into the open – avoiding any direct eye contact.

Max tried to concentrate on anything that was not Logan. After staring out of the window for a while she looked around the plane. She inspected the soldiers some more, but tore her gaze away really quickly as the biceps of one of them sparked yet another heat wave in her. On her way of redirecting her gaze from the strong soldier-upper-arm she briefly passed Clementes face. He seemed deep in thought and terrified as hell. A little perspiration formed on his forehead and Max noticed that he forced himself not to look at anything in particular. He didn't dare to make eye contact with anyone of her team. But what stroke her was that he tried hard not to look at anyone in his team. What was that all about? Why would he not be trying to coordinate his team with looks and gestures – even the slightest ones. That's how they did it at Manticore. Looks and slight gestures to get in tune as a team.

But Clemente seemed terrified to even look at one of his so-called team members. The team-members who weren't even looking at each other right now. Odd. Very odd. Max's instincts kicked in and her heat-caused sexual cravings took a back seat. Something clearly was wrong with that picture. She knew that she and her team weren't exactly the Manticore-Handbook-like team, but at least they shared a connection. Maybe too much of a connection. They were angry, pissed, jealous, and horny. But they were a team. But from what she could see the team in the front of the plane was definitely off. No vibe. No rhythm. No connection whatsoever. Clemente seemed to be scared out of his mind and his men were way too cool, way too calm and professional than to be Seattle police men.

Something would go down here soon. She felt it and wished she would know what to do about it. She was running out of time. There was no way of telling Logan and the others without causing a chain-reaction of events they were not prepared for.

**_The warehouse - outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

Renfro rolled out of the iron sliding doors and positioned her chair in front of the screen that showed a still very quiet airport in Canada. There was no sign of Grand and his crew. Nothing that could cause any suspicion on the freaks side when they looked out of the window after the landing. But Renfro smiled knowing that as soon as the plane had landed on the field her biggest triumph would be turned into action.

"How long" her mechanic voice rasped and startled the other soldiers in the room.

"10 minutes director Renfro" Victor answered, turning slightly to her. After seeing that her eyes were fixed to the screen he turned away from her again and stared at the screen as well. There was nothing left for them to do. Everything was prepared. If things are going the way they were planned they would have 452 in their hands in 30 minutes and see the bloody limbs of Clemente and the rest of the freak-team on the screen in a little while. 10 more minutes.

**_Inside the plane:_**

Clementes hands tightened their grip on the armrest while he stared into nothingness. Max tried to seek out his eyes for a confirmation of a fate she already accepted. Either she was being paranoid or things would move fast from now on. But she would have called herself right about anything: sarcastic, ironic, down-to-earth, impatient, self-conscious. But she was never paranoid. She could trust her instincts and her gut – even while in heat.

This will be going to be a big fight. A fight about life and death. A fight about living and ending up as a lab rat – in the best case scenario. A fight were not only she, her sister and the annoying Alec and Mole were involved – but also the man she loved more than life itself. They were trained to picture the worst-case scenario and work on preventing it to happen. And her Manticore-trained soldier mind – as hard as she tried to deny herself from having it – told her, that not all of them are going to make it. There would be some 'casualties' as Manticore would call it. But she wasn't Manticore anymore. There were no casualties. This was her family. By genes, by blood or by heart. All of them – just the way they sat there on their seats oblivious to everything – they were her family.

For the first time she could not switch into soldier mode. She could not just pretend to be on a mission. This was personal. More than personal. And right in that moment she felt helpless. Defeated. Even if she could tell them now – she still could not save them. The terrified look on Clementes face told her, that it wasn't just a little game of track 452 down, capture her and then we'll see. He was scared to death – and knowing Manticore – they all should be.

***************

Max was ripped out of her thoughts when the plane accelerated and started to land on the airport. The plane bounced one or two times on the field before slowing down and directing its way towards the small tower where the hangars were located.

Everybody unbuckled and waited until the plane had gotten to the final stop. Max eyes moved from one window to the next but she could not make out anything unusual or suspicious. Of course not. It was them against a super-top-secret government facility driven by hatred and something else that she hadn't quite given a lot of thought to.

She got up, grabbed her backpack and looked down on Logan, Syl, Mole and Alec.

"You know what? I don't like it here. It's kinda cold. Let's spend our vacation somewhere else."

************  
  


**_Inside the hangar:_**

Grand watched the plane land and roll into position. He quickly confirmed that all the teams were ready through his intercom but ordered them to wait interfering until the 'passengers' stepped out of the plane. After all his teams confirmed that they understood the order he grabbed his walky-talky that was connected to the warehouse-headquarters in Seattle and pressed the speaking button.

"Operation 452 in action as planned. Confirm execution of ultimate plan. Over." Clemente pressed the receiving button waiting for the final conformation about the plan that kept on changing by the minute.

**_The warehouse - outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

Victor turned around to Renfro after Grand's message. He hoped there would be a change in plans, considering his gut feeling, but he felt it'd be better to keep it to himself right about now. So he just waited for director Renfro to answer. She seemed engrossed with the screen, seemingly impatient to see some blood being spilled but also to see 452 being captured.

"Do it" Renfro rasped. There was not the slightest doubt. She wanted this and she wanted it bad and she wanted it now.

Victor stifled the groan that was about to erupt and nodded towards director Renfro. Then he turned back to the walky-talky and picked it up. He pressed the button that allowed him to speak to Grand. "Ultimate Plan confirmed. Over."

He released the button and turned his gaze back towards the screen.

**_Inside the plane:_**

The plane had stopped completely. The so-called cops got up while Clemente unbuckled his seat belt with shaky hands. He knew this might be his last minute on earth living.

Max still stood in front of the others who looked up at her with a questioning look after her last words.

"I haven't seen a lot of the world. So why don't you pick someplace Logan. I'm sure you can convince the pilot to land in a more un-armed location." Max said with a sweet smile in Logan's direction and some raised eye-brows for her fellow team-mates.

That was all it took. Before the board personnel could open the door of the plane, 3 X5's and one Mole rushed in lightning speed towards the front of the plane. Logan followed suite just not as lightningy and made his way to the pilots, shoving the 2 ladies of the board personnel inside the front bathroom on his way.

Max had grabbed the first disguised wanne-be cop before he even noticed that she approached. She used her flatted palm and hit the spot on his neck that knocked him out within a millisecond. 

Alec attacked the one approaching Max and landed a precise kick to his head which made the soldier stumble into his colleague and they both landed on the floor in front of a flabbergasted Clemente, who stepped a few steps back to get out of the way of the fight between Manticore soldiers and Manticore employees. 

Syl launched herself on the soldier who tried to get to Clemente, while Alec and Max took care of the re-awoken soldiers. Mole, not one with lots of technique and graze when it came to fighting, grabbed the soldier who was trying to open the door, and slammed his head hard on said door, knocking him out completely.

**_Cockpit:_**

Logan had reached the cockpit door and wondered briefly what he could do if those pilots turned out to be Manticore. X-series or not. He was only human and would have enough to do with ordinary humans – no need for them to have super powers.

As he heard Max, Alec, Syl and Mole struggle with the soldiers in the back, he glanced out of the little window in front of the cockpit and could see shadows creeping towards the plane. Manticore. 

He had to act quickly. And he had to be prepared. He grabbed the little fire-extinguisher that was located in front of the cockpit door. He entered in one smooth move and knocked the co-pilot out cold with the extinguisher. Then he took his blank finger and pushed it up the neck of the pilot.

"Start the engine" Logan ordered, putting a little more pressure on is finger-turned-gun.

"That would take a while, besides we need more gas and…" the pilot started nervously. 

"Start the engine" Logan repeated a little bit more persistent and threatened some more with his finger. Good he thought that the pilot was not Manticore. God not even military. As the pilot started the engines of the plane, a small smile crept up Logan's face. But in the back of his mind there was still the Logan that kicked him. How could he have not checked the pilot and co-pilot? Would have been easy to find out if they were suspicious or not, but he simply forgot. Good thing that Manticore thought that he – or Terminal City – were smarter than they really were. This was clearly one confused and scared pilot. Good for them.

**************

**_The warehouse - outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

"What the fuck is going on there? Why is nobody leaving the plane? What the fuck is going on there?" Renfro screamed after seeing the plane land and then nothing. She saw Grand and his men approach the plane carefully. But still. The door did not open. Then the engines of the plane started again.

"What the fuck is going on there" she screamed again this time into the walky-talky after pushing Victor aside.

"I don't know" Grand's voice came crackling through the device. "The plane seems to start moving."

"Keep the goddamn plane on the ground and get me 452" Renfro yelled into the intercom.

"If we attack the plane with gunfire it might explode, eliminating 452 with it" Grand answered clearly at a loss. He figured his soldiers were trained enough for X5's. But clearly he was wrong.

"Keep the plane on the ground" Renfro repeated slowly. "I rather have her dead than free."

Grand stored the walky-talky away in his uniform and signaled the teams that were all on the field, carefully approaching the plane, to attack.

*****************

**_Inside the plane:_**

Max, Alec, Syl and Mole were still busy to fight the soldiers that were attacking them or they were busy keeping the one's they knocked out unconscious. When they heard the engine of the plane start again, they stopped for a brief split-second and smiled briefly. Just as the plane started moving again on the field Mole dumped the last half conscious soldier against the ceiling of the plane, knocking him into unconsciousness for good. 

Max smiled at the others one of her trade-marked 'piece-of-cake' smiles.

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" She said while stepping over unconscious bodies making her way to Logan and the pilot.

*************

"Now" Grand yelled and signaled the teams to attack the plane. 

**************

Suddenly Max felt the plane swerve and she was knocked against a wall on her right before she heard gunfire and the sound of bullets making their way through the metal of the plane. She jumped up to her feet quickly and ran to the cockpit.

"Get out of here – now. Let's speed this thing up" she yelled once she was in there.

"I can't go faster or we won't have the right speed to lift up" the pilot yelled back.

"I don't give flying fuck if this plane falls apart. Just get it into the air now." Max screamed at him. The pilot turned around to repeat something, but after one glance at Max, he knew she was seriously going to kick him into next week if he wouldn't do it. So he cleared his throat and pushed the lever up.

"Hang on tight", he yelled for the whole plane to hear and the plane speed away, chased by heavy gunfire and lifted up sharply into the sky.

***************

"Damn it" Grand yelled on the field while still ordering the teams to keep on firing. If he could not capture 452 he at least wanted to destroy her. And if it was the last thing he'd do.

After 15 seconds he signaled the soldiers to hold the fire. The plane was out of reach. Breathlessly he grabbed the walky-talky from out of his pocket to announce his failed mission while staring after the plane that made its way further and further away.

_AN: Alrighty. They got out of there. What do you think? Hit me back. I'm not gonna beg, but I'm beggin' ya'll._


	12. Crash Boom Bang

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) 

_AN:. Am I loosing my audience or are you guys just as lazy as a reviewer as I am? I hope it's the latter, but if not, I should at least try to wrap this story up and give the few readers I still have a worthy ending. So let's see where this chapter goes (I never know myself when I sit down and write where all of this is heading) and if I can draw some kind of conclusion now or if I need a few more chapters. _

_Oh, and to clarify some things. The __Logan__ can still walk comment at the beginning only means, that he did not lose his legs again, as happened in VS3. He's as bouncy as he is in the final episode, not needing the exo to walk either. And no. He will keep his legs throughout this story. So on with it:_

**Chapter 11: Crash, boom, bang**

**_Warehouse outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

"What do you mean _'She's gone'_?" Renfro asked incredulous. She had seen the whole scene on the screen in front of her, but she could not quite believe what just happened. She saw Grand stand in the middle of the 'battlefield'. His very confused tac-team surrounding him. No casualties in this fight. The transgenic freaks won in hand-to-hand combat. And now they were gone. No Clemente and no undercover soldiers were able to leave the plane. This mission was a 100% failure – for Renfro and her team.

"They took the plane and left" Grand answered defeated. But there was nothing he could say to explain his failure. Nothing to defend him and his team.

"Find them" Renfro rasped into the walky-talky. "Find the goddamn plane and get her." She ordered. Then she dropped the intercom on the table in front of her and turned to the screens. 

"Do we have visuals?" She barked at Victor.

Victor turned to adjust the frequency of the little cameras they had hidden in the plane trying to get a visual. After a few seconds the screen flickered and they saw the inside of the plane.

Mole, Syl and Alec were just tying up the soldiers that still lay unconscious on the floor of the plane. The transgenics took one after the other and tied them tightly to one of the seats in the back where they had been sitting before. 

The camera that was installed in the instrument panel of the cockpit showed a very terrified pilot flipping switches and a knocked out co-pilot slumbering in the seat next to him. Max and Logan stood behind him, watching the pilot trying to control the plane without the co-pilots help. Once it seemed that the pilot had somewhat regained control of the plane he leaned back in his seat and let out a shaky breath. He didn't dare to speak but he felt Max and Logan's eyes on him. 

"Got everything under control?" Logan asked the pilot who just nodded and kept his eyes fixed on the instruments in front of him.

Max eyes left the pilots face and wandered over the instrument panel. Then she leaned forward invading the pilot's personal space. He jumped slightly as he felt Max breath on his neck. She turned her head slightly towards him and with a quick but gentle "Excuse me", her fist shot forward and bore into the control board where the camera was situated. Some sparks shot out of the panel and the screen in the warehouse went dark.

"Damn it," Victor hissed and tried to adjust the frequency, but the camera was dead.

From the camera inside the back of the plane they could see the cockpit door open. Max stepped out and closed the door behind her, leaving Logan alone with the pilot. She quickly scanned the cabin trying to locate the other cameras that undoubtedly were located all around the rest of the plane.

"I think we need some privacy here," Max said and started to inspect the cabin closer. The first camera was quickly found in the front part of the plane where Clemente and the soldiers had been sitting and it quickly suffered the same fate as the one in the cockpit. Mole, Alec and Syl, who finished tying up the soldiers, took the cue and quickly spread out inside the plane to disable the cameras in the back and the bathroom and wherever else they found one.

Once she approached the back of the plane, where the soldiers were tied up, she discovered another camera, hidden on the lock of the overhead compartment. She stepped closer, staring directly into the lens. She just opened her mouth to say something, when one of the soldiers began to stir in his seat. She turned away from the camera and looked at the soldier who slowly gained his consciousness back.

"You know what," she said as she came closer to him. His eyes grew wider as he became fully aware that he was unable to move, as were all of the members of his team, and the prime target of their mission approached him slowly with a little grin on her face. "Let's talk later." He heard her say before everything went black again and he gladly slipped back into unconsciousness.

Inside the warehouse, the murmurs and curses turned into an icy silence, as one after the other screen went black. Only one camera was still functional and all eyes were fixed on that one screen, where Max after having knocked out the soldier turned her attention back to the camera in the overhead compartment.

"You guys never give up, do you?" Max asked staring straight back into the lens where sure as hell the Manticore audience watched. "I don't know what the fuck you want, but let's get one thing straight here. Once I find out, and sure as hell I will find out, we're gonna come and kick your lousy asses. Until then, I think its best you guys sit together and plan your next steps really carefully. As you may have noticed, it takes a little more than that little tac-team of yours to get us. I suggest you just leave it be and get off our backs. But if you're asking for trouble – bring it on." With that she punched her fist into the compartment lock, and the last screen in the warehouse went dead.

"I'm gonna get you 452. And if it's the last thing I do. I get you," Renfro's raspy voice whispered, then she turned her chair around and left the room, leaving Victor and the rest of the team staring after her. Victor switched off the last monitor and then straightened up to look at the team. Everybody was looking at him expectantly. The mission failed and Renfro left without any follow-up orders. They didn't know what to do. They were obedient soldiers, ready to give their life for a mission. But to think on their own was not part of their training. They stood and looked at Victor, waiting for orders.

"Let's find that plane" Victor said and turned to leave the room. After a split second, the soldiers went to the computers and tracking instruments, glad to have clear orders and a new mission to focus on. Victor stepped outside the warehouse and inhaled the cold, fresh air and leaned heavily against the massive iron wall. He knew all along that something was wrong. They were in deep shit. And Renfro's obsession with capturing 452 wouldn't make it easier for them.

*********************

**_Inside the plane:_**

"Great. Just great. Now what do we do?" Alec asked plopping down in a seat in front of the plane opening a can beer he found in the kitchen in the back of the plane.

"I don't know. We're heading east towards Queensborough. But I don't know how far we get. Looks like we're loosing gas. Must've been hit." Logan said stepping out of the cockpit and checking the cabin for the first time since the fight began and he had rushed inside the cockpit. 

"We should make sure we're off the radar and go down somewhere safe to get more gas," Syl mused.

"We've cut all the connections and turned off all the devices that can be detected and tracked. Plus we fly too low to be seen on any regular radar screen. But we can not be sure if Manticore hasn't slipped some tracking device on the plane. I'm pretty sure they did, so we should get down and switch planes or stay on the ground and move out further." Max said after exiting the cockpit herself and leaning against the side of the seat Logan sat in.

"I don't think we can land the plane on any airport without being detected. And it's too dark to land elsewhere. The plane is just gonna crash on the ground. How much gas do we have left?" Mole asked lighting a cigar. 

"Not enough." Logan said and ran a hand through his hair, spiking it up even more. Max just grinned at him from the side of the seat. Was there anything sexier in this world than Logan looking desperate and with messed up hair. She quickly covered her little slip and tried to control her raging hormones by getting up and pacing around the cabin.

"Okay. What choices do we have? Suppose we don't have enough gas to make it till sunset…" Max thought out loud while pacing back and forth.

"That's a given" Logan said, dismissing even the slightest possibility that they would make it that long.

"Fine. So we need to get the plane down. How are the odds that we have Manticore waiting for us if we land at Queensborough airport?" Max asked already knowing the answer.

"Okay, okay. Bad idea." Max said and threw her hands up in the air after getting incredulous stares from everybody.

"Can you land the plane elsewhere?" Max raised her voice slightly and turned towards the open cockpit door waiting for the pilot to answer.

"Its pitch dark out there. My instruments can only assist me so far that I can level the plane out during the landing. But we need a flat surface to land on, and it has to be long enough. And even then there is no chance in telling if we gonna make it without a crash." The pilot answered and checked the instruments. More than one was blinking red in high alert, that something was not okay. They must've been hit more than once while departing from Vancouver. And he had no idea what else wasn't functioning right, as Max's hit into the control panel disabled some other controls as well.

"Logan, can you pull up some maps on your computer. Maybe we find a location." Max asked turning towards Logan.

"We could try. But you heard him Max. It's still risky. We have no idea how badly damaged the plane is." Logan said and got up to get his computer.

"I know. But that's the only thing we can do." Max replied and looked over Logan's shoulder where he pulled up some maps of the area and tried to zoom them in.

***************

**_Warehouse outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

"Anything?" Victor asked once he came back from outside and stepped back into the headquarters, where everybody typed along vigorously on computers or tried to find the frequency of the tracking device on the plane with some other equipment.

"The tracking device is still on the plane, sir. But it must've been damaged slightly. We can't seem to find the frequency. But it's only a matter of time." The young soldier answered Victor and then turned his attention back to unscramble the frequency of the tracking device.

"Where could they be by now?" Victor asked another soldier who calculated how far they could've come.

"We have a 200 mile radius sir, supposing the plane was not damaged and they can go with maximum speed, sir." The soldier replied and showed Victor the map, where a circle was blinking, calculating where the plane could be now for every possible direction.

"They don't have enough gas to be heading west. They could be in North Vancouver by now or Port Moody. Or further east in Suncrest, Burnaby or Queensborough. Or maybe they are heading back south, back to the US, sir." The soldier explained the various possibilities to Victor.

"Unscramble the frequency and send a team towards all those locations. We're loosing too much time if we wait till we know the exact location of the plane. Move the teams out now." Victor ordered, not quite sure if he approached the situation right or even if they had enough manpower to take the transgenics on if he split all of the soldiers up in teams. But it was the only thing he could think of, if he didn't want the freaks to get too far ahead of them.

*********************

**_Inside the plane:_**

"Okay. What about there?" Max said and leaned over Logan's shoulder to point her finger at a location that seemed flat and wide enough – and most importantly, close enough. She lingered a little there, taking in his scent. He still smelled like sex from their earlier romp in the back of the plane. She moved her head closer, drawn to the heat radiating from him and his neck, so close to her mouth. Her lips parted slightly and her tongue darted out of her mouth to that spot on his neck where she knew he was very sensitive, when she was pushed aside slightly by Syl who took over Max earlier position next to Logan's neck staring at the screen and the location Max pointed out.

Max exhale noisily and shook her head slightly as if to shake away the images she had of Logan and her in the back of the plane. Supposing she had enough of her control back, she allowed her gaze back down to Logan and Syl and the map on the laptop screen.

"I don't know. Looks good enough. I doubt we find anything better in the next few minutes." Logan said and got up to show the pilot the location they had picked.

"Max. Get it together alright." Syl said as she stood close to Max and whispered in her ear, so Mole and Alec couldn't hear it.

"What?" Max hissed back defensively.

"Max," Syl glared at her. "I saw what you just did."

"What did I do?" Max asked innocently.

"Cut it out, sis. If I wouldn't have pushed you aside, you would have attacked that poor guy. Heat or not. You already scratched that itch today. You should have a little more control than that girl." Syl glared at her.

"Alright, alright. Consider it a moment of weakness. Won't happen again." Max replied to Syl, and then looked up after hearing the soldiers stir awake in the back of the plane. "Guess I just have to find something else to do." Max grinned and made her way towards the soldiers with Alec and Mole following her.

2 of the soldiers were stirring and slowly made their way back to the living. The other 2 soldiers were already fully awake and took in their surroundings.

"Welcome on board of Freak Airlines," Max said cheerfully as she stood in front of the soldiers. "We hope you enjoy your flight here. We're gonna serve a light meal soon and some cool beverages. But first we should have a little talk or we gonna feed you the special menu of the day," Max said and raised her right fist, "And then we gonna send you headfirst to an unfortunately not so soft landing."

That said, she stepped closer to the two soldiers that were already fully awake and removed the duck tape that covered their mouths, leaving the other 2 soldiers alone in their half-awake, half-asleep phase. Then she stepped back to look at them.

"Talk!" she ordered.

But no soldier made a move to respond. They stared straight ahead, not moving and inch.

"Always the nice little obedient soldiers, huh?" Alec said and stepped closer to them. "Let's cut this thing short here, shall we? We know you're Manticore. We know you came here to get us. That said; let's get to the real important question here. Who is your commanding officer, and where did you want to take us?" Alec asked and grabbed the soldiers chin roughly to make him look him straight in the eyes.

As the soldier made no attempts to answer, Mole pushed Alec aside, untied the soldier's hands from the seat and dragged him to his feet. The soldier looked terrified standing just mere inches away from Mole. "Guess that one asks for the special menu." Mole growled and planted his fist in the soldiers face. Hard enough for the soldier to feel the pain, as his jaw broke, but 'gentle' enough, so he would not loose consciousness.

"Now let's try this again. Who send you and what were you going to do with us?" Mole asked and held the soldier, whose own feet couldn't carry him anymore, upright. The soldier remained silent. He was trained for that. Willing to take any torture, even a painful death without compromising the mission.

Clearly annoyed Mole dropped the soldier who landed with a loud thump on the floor. "Let's try this one." He said and grabbed the next soldier who watched how his fellow soldier had been treated and was determined to endure his own torture.

As it looked like that soldier won't say a word either, Max walked back to Syl who stood in the door of the cockpit, listening to Logan and the pilot. As she saw Max walk towards her, she stepped back.

"Any luck?" Syl asked nodding her head towards Mole and Alec, who were already on to soldier number 3.

"Nope. Not a word. I don't think we get anything out of them. Is Clemente up yet?" Max asked Syl and stepped closer to the seat where Clemente lay, still unconscious after hitting his head on the wall of the plane as it swerved when they departed.

"No. But I think it's time we wake him up. Not much time till we land, maybe he has a little bit more information and I bet he his a little more willing to share that information with us than those guys." Syl stated matter of factly as she saw Mole throw the last Manticore soldier on the pile of bodies in front of him and shook his head towards the girls, signaling them, that the soldiers were back out cold and did not say a single word. 

"Let's give it a shot. We have nothing to lose." Max said, grabbed a bottle of water from the table and poured it over Clemente's sleeping form. He bolted up right within a second, spitting water and looking around, trying to make out where he was and what the hell had happened.

"Welcome back," Max said, waiting for Clemente to wake up fully.

"What? Where? What the hell happened?" Clemente stammered. He stood up and ran a hand threw his wet hair only to sit back down once he felt a little dizzy and a sharp pain shot through his skull. 

"We were hoping you could tell us," Max said in a calm voice and sat down in the seat in front of him, to make him more comfortable and less scared. 

"What happened, where are we?" Clemete asked again. After Max gave him the short version of what had happened and a brief description what was to follow Clemente seemed relieved and a little bit more relaxed – given the givens.

"Now. What can you tell us? Why is Manticore after us? What's their plan? And how do you fit in there?" Max asked Clemente.

"I'm not sure myself. All I know is that they threatened to kill me and my family, if I don't deliver." Clemente answered.

"Deliver what?" Logan asked from behind Max and Syl.

"Deliver them 452." Clemente said and could see the looks the TC-group exchanged.

"What do they want from me?" Max asked.

"I don't know. They just wanted you. The plan was to fake negotiations and then capture you and have the rest of the plane crash on the way back to Seattle. Everybody was supposed to think we all died in the crash. Keeping all of Terminal City from starting a war. And I could start living a normal life somewhere really far from here. But I think they changed the plan. They never trusted me." Clemente explained, but even he realized, that what he knew wouldn't be a lot of help for them.

"With whom were you in contact from Manticore?" Logan asked, trying miserably to hide the fear in his voice. His fear, that something is going to happen to his Max.

"I only talked to this guy called Victor. But I don't think he ranks really high at Manticore. He mentioned a couple of times his boss. Director Renfro." Clemente said trying to remember everything that he knew.

At the mentioning of Renfro's name Max felt her body tense up. She felt like someone hit her in the stomach. Renfro. That was kind of a new one. Or an old one that is. She thought Renfro was dead. Had seen it with her own eyes. She took a bullet for her. She used her last breath to tell Max that she was 'the one'. Max never found out what she meant by that, but as long as the bitch was dead, and Manticore burnt to the ground she never really cared that much. Of course when all those spooky runes appeared on her body she thought about it a lot more. But Renfro was dead, and Manticore gone. Only White and the Familiars posed a threat to them. But she never pictured that she might be the connection between those 2. Manticore and the Familiars.

Syl never had to deal with Renfro in person and had only heard about her. But the look on Logan's, Alec's and especially Max's face was enough to convince her, that they had a bigger problem than only Manticore after them.

"What else?" Max asked, her voice a shaky whisper. Logan heard the fear in her voice and stepped closer, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder for which Max was more than grateful for. 

"She wanted me to make you trust me, and then lead you away from Terminal City, where she could capture you. I'm sorry Max. That's all I know." Clemente answered.

"Where did they want to bring us?" Alec asked, using the term 'us' instead of 'Max'.

"As I told you. I was just supposed to bring you here. Then me and my family…..oh my god. My family. They are out there. God…..I'm sure they already got them." Clemente cried out, having just realized, that while he was luckily still alive, his family might not be.

"I'm sorry. We make sure they are alright and save once we've landed this plane on the ground. I think we are just about ready. I go and check with the pilot. You better buckle up." Logan said to Clemente and Mole. "Syl, Alec, Max. The pilot could use your night vision to land the plane. Why don't you move the co-pilot out here in the cabin and get ready." Logan suggested to Syl and Alec, who got the hint and moved to the cockpit to change seats.

Logan waited in the hallway for Max. She got up with unsteady legs and walked towards the cockpit. Logan grabbed her arm lightly as she passed him and stopped her.

"Max. Are you alright? I mean. How are you doing?" Logan asked, not sure that anything he could say make her feel better right now.

"I don't know" Max said and looked up at Logan, who looked down into her eyes. She could see the worry, fear and love in his eyes and she instinctively leaned forward in Logan's waiting arms. He hugged her tightly, not sure what she needed him to say. So he just held her there. Max moved even closer, hugged him even tighter, as if she could just hide in Logan's arms and make all the pain and fear go away. Why was it always so hard? Why couldn't they leave her alone and be happy for once.

Logan was just brushing a little kiss on top of her head, while soothingly rubbing her back gently, when Syl interrupted them. "I'm sorry. But I think we are ready now. Logan, you can sit in the cockpit, but you better buckle up now. This is going to be one hell of a landing." Syl said, hating to interrupt her sister and Logan in a moment like that.

Reluctantly Max let go of Logan, gave him one gentle kiss on his lips and turned to sit in the co-pilot seat, while Logan buckled up on a seat close to the door. Syl and Alec looked for something to hold on, in case it got a little too rough, then leaned forward and zoomed their eyes in on the dark night.

***********************

**_The warehouse outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

"We got them, sir." One of the soldiers informed Victor, who was busy coordinating the different teams he had on various intercoms. He turned around and with two quick steps stood behind the soldier.

"Where are they?" Victor yelled already preparing his next move in his head to send all teams that were already on the move, to that particular location.

"They are 25 miles west of the outer perimeters of Queensborough." The soldier informed Victor, who turned around immediately and gave the location to all the teams that had moved north and south, so they could re-locate to the given coordinates.

"Are they still in the air?" Victor asked the soldier after having re-directed the troops.

"Yes, looks like it sir. But they get lower. Looks like they are going down soon, sir." The soldier answered.

Victor went back to his intercom and changed the frequency. "Trooper1, Trooper2. Here base. Target about to land, 25 miles west of Queensborough. How fast can you be there? Over." Victor asked the 2 helicopter pilots that were on their way.

"10, 15 minutes sir." The helicopter pilots answered, pushing the helicopter to go faster.

"Make that 10 minutes." Victor barked back. He could not afford to lose them again.

"Yes sir," the pilots answered and pushed safety aside and accelerated the helicopter beyond maximum.

****************

**_Inside the plane:_**

"I don't see a fucking thing," the pilot yelled as they approached their landing destination. He wasn't afraid of the transgenics anymore and decided if he had to die he might as well speak his mind. And it sure looked like they would all die soon. He accelerated the plane and pushed the button for the landing gear. He lowered the plane, nose first towards the ground. But all he could see was the black darkness outside the window and the alerting red lights on the control panel that indicated only one thing – trouble.

"Relax." Max told him and focused on her night vision. She could see the large area in front of her. A flat, wide spread meadow that went on just as flat as far as her vision could zoom. "A little bit further to the right. We're almost there." Max informed the pilot.

"Okay. Let's do this. As soon as we're close enough to the ground, we will pull the lever up as far and hard as we can." The pilot instructed and wiped some sweat from his forehead.

"Just say the word," Max answered and hoped the controls would provide them with the information about the right moment when to pull the lever up.

The pilot checked the controls to wait for the right moment. Syl, Alec and Max stared out of the window. They were moving with incredible speed and they could see the ground rapidly approaching. Max fought against the urge to pull back the lever just then. But she waited for the signal, ignoring the image in her head that had the plane crashing nose first to the ground.

"Now?" Max asked, unsure how much lower they had to get.

"Not now. A little further down," the pilot answered. After another minute, which seemed like a lifetime to Max and the others the pilot yelled "NOW", and she and Syl pulled the lever up towards their bodies while Alec helped the pilot pull his lever up.

The plane touched the ground hard. Even though it was a flat meadow, there were still little uneven bumps that broke the landing gear right off the plane. The plane jumped again, landing flat on the ground and rushed along the meadow. No landing gear meant no breaks and no control whatsoever over the plane. All they could do was sit there, hold on tight to whatever they could grab and wait till the plane came to a final stop. The left and the right wing alternated in hitting the floor, which slowed the plane down but also caused the plane to shake rock and swerve uncontrollably. 

After what seemed like an eternity the plane finally bumped into a large tree, which slowed the plane down so it finally came to a stop a few yards further. They heard the plane puff, squeak and then a large thump as the right wing broke and the plane rolled onto the side, where the right wing once supported the plane to stay somewhat upright.

"Is everybody okay?" Max yelled as she unbuckled the seatbelt and helped the pilot do the same.

"Yeah, but I think I broke my leg," Logan answered and winced in pain as he tried to get up.

"Here let me help you." Alec said and offered Logan his arm. "We need to get out of here. If this thing blows up we are not only dead, but it is a pretty nifty signal for Manticore." Alec said and led Logan carefully out of the cockpit and towards the hole that was ripped in the side of the plane, where half of the tree stuck. Max helped the pilot out while Syl went inside to get the co-pilot and Mole led Clemente out.

Once outside they all looked at one another. There was nothing even remotely close. They were standing in the middle of the meadow next to a crashed plane. But they had to get out of there.

"Guess I can't consult my computer anymore about where to go now," Logan said bitterly as he watched the crashed plane.

"Leave it to Logan to worry about his computer gear while sitting in goddamn no man's land with a broken leg and a deadly military force on his ass." Alec joked and went over to drag Logan back to his feet.

"Very funny Alec. Hey, what are you doing?" Logan asked confused after Alec had lifted him up and then threw him over his shoulder.

"We need to get a move on. What do you wanne do? Crawl?" Alec said while walking over to Max, Syl and Mole. "Which way?"

"I don't know. How about further east towards Queensborough? We might score a car and get out of here before the sun sets." Max suggested.

"Fine. Let's go." Alec said and started walking east with a complaining Logan swung over his left shoulder.

"You can stay here if you want to. But one word to anybody where we're heading and I'm gonna come back for you." Max warned the pilot and his unconscious co-pilot. The pilot just nodded with relief and sank to the floor and passed out.

Max turned and gave the wreck one last look and hurried after the others.

*********************

**_Warehouse outside of _****_Seattle_****_:_**

After getting her composure back Renfro returned to the command center. Victor informed her quickly and efficiently about the status of the operation when the first helicopter reported in.

"Located the plane, sir. Crashed 10 miles west of Queensborough." Trooper 1 informed him.

"Any movement?" Victor asked while feeling Renfro's eyes on him. 

"We can't tell from here sir." The Trooper 1 replied.

"Send one trooper down to secure the wreck and the other one go find them." Renfro instructed Victor, who barked the orders he had just received in his intercom. 

While the second helicopter landed near the plane wreck, and 5 heavily armed soldiers exited heavily armed to inspect the wreck, Trooper 1 moved closer to the city.

"I see movement." Came the excited voice of Trooper 1. "5, no 6 targets. One is injured. Trooper 1 waits for instructions."

Victor turned to Renfro who seemed deep in thought. But they needed a decision quickly, because if the helicopter could detect the freaks, they sure as hell could see the helicopter too. 

"Director Renfro, ma'm." Victor asked her carefully but insistently.

"Attack." Renfro ordered, her face pale. 

Victor turned away and grabbed the intercom. "Attack. I repeat. Attack." He ordered.

"Yes sir." Was the only answer they got before the intercom went dead and the soldiers went to execute the order.

****************************

_AN: First of all. Thanks for reading this time. And if you liked it, hit that little button on the bottom left just to let me know you read it. Secondly, this is not the end. I seem to write them out of one mess and then I write them into another one a second later – thus stretching the story to unbearable length. Sorry idlehands452, but Max will kiss __Logan__ better in the next Chapter. I promise._

_Oh, and the thought of __Logan__ losing his legs didn't leave my mind while writing this. But he got only shot in the leg. Not like he's losing mobility again. Just thought it be a nice touch if Max can pamper him a little later on._


	13. Females and wounded last

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still) 

_AN: Thanks for all your reviews. So I didn't loose all my audience – it's just nice to know it sometimes.__ I apologize for updating so late. And this time it didn't have anything to do with ff.net. I was just being lazy I guess. _

_As for the last Chapter's end AN. Logan of course didn't get shot in the leg. He just broke his leg. Sometimes I just don't notice things. But that's what I got my wonderful beta for. **Somebody's** Angel – pahh – you are mine. Thanks a lot. _

_Also sorry for this chapter that lacks pampering completely. Be patient with me. The next chapter will hopefully include a lot more than pampering – I promise __J Now on with the show………_

**Chapter 12: Females and wounded last   
**  
*****************   
  
_"…Max turned and gave the wreck one last look and hurried after the others."   
_  
*****************   
  
Max and Syl led the way. Thanks to their enhanced vision they could make out some lights, so they moved towards them quickly. Mole and Clemente followed closely, but Clemente had a hard time keeping up with the two X5's. Alec, with Logan slung over his shoulder, was a little further behind. All of a sudden they heard the helicopters and turned to locate them in the night sky.  
  
"Damn it!" Max hissed and quickly scanned the surroundings for somewhere to hide.   
  
"The crash must have drowned out the noise of the helicopters." Alec stated, slightly out of breath, as he caught up with the rest of the group.  
  
"Now what?" Clemente asked. He felt the urge to run, but knew that it wouldn't save him.   
  
"If we can see the helicopter, then they can probably see us as well." Logan said from his awkward position over Alec's shoulder.  
  
"I can't see anywhere even remotely close where we could hide in case they haven't located us." Syl informed the group.  
  
"What are we gonna do now? We don't even have weapons. And even if we did it would take an army to bring that helicopter down." Mole said.  He looked into the sky again, and added, "Make that two helicopters."   
  
"Okay everybody. Follow me, but stay close to the ground. Cover yourself with dirt and take off anything that might reflect light." Max said as she ducked down. The others followed suit, not quite sure what her plan was, but grateful that at least somebody had a plan.   
  
When everybody looked dirty and quite undetectable, Max turned to Logan. "We've gotta make this quick, will you be okay?"  
  
"Max," Logan crawled closer to her, "if I have learned anything in my life it is how to handle myself without fully functional legs. I can manage. Lead the way."   
  
She gave his upper body an appreciative glance, then smiled at him and turned towards the others. "Okay. There's a water trench a little further on our right. If we can make it there undetected we can backtrack towards the wreck. If they find the trench they will follow it towards the city." Max said and began crawling towards the trench.   
  
"And then what?" Alec asked. He knew that Max was right about backtracking to the plane, but he had no idea what they would do once they were back there.   
  
"I don't know yet. Let's make it up as we go along." Max answered as she crawled keeping an eye on the two helicopters that were approaching them.   
  
************************   
  
"Control this is Trooper 1. We have lost sight of the targets. Need support. Over." The pilot of the first helicopter barked into his intercom.  
  
"Trooper 2 enroute. Over." The second helicopter answered and turned away from the wreck to follow the first helicopter.  
  
The first helicopter flew to the spot where the targets had been located a few minutes ago. But the area was empty. After a quick exchange with the other helicopter, the first trooper made its way towards the city lights while the second one searched further to the right side of the meadow. Both helicopters were equipped with searchlights and while the pilots navigated the helicopters easily across the meadow the 2 soldiers in the back of each helicopter slowly scanned each square. But neither helicopter found anything.   
  
"There's a water trench 100 yards from your coordinates. Over." Trooper 2 informed the first helicopter, who had almost reached the outside parameters of Queensborough.  
  
"Turn around and check the trench as you return to the wreck. I will fly to the end of the meadows and then turn and check the trench on my side. Over." The first Trooper ordered and continued his way towards the city lights. He knew that those kids were fast, so it was possible they had made it that far, even though he doubted it. But there was no sight of them so far, so either they were crawling the trench, which he would discover on his way back, or they were ahead of him, in which case he would find them any minute now. When he found them he was under orders to open fire and end the problem once and for all.  
  
**********************   
  
"One helicopter turned around." Logan informed the others while still half-crawling and half-swimming through the trench, which was half-full of water. "It's coming back this way."  
  
"We've gotta hurry." Max said as she crawled. "Once we're at the wreck we can move quickly to the right and hide in those bushes. What are the odds they haven't seen us and don't expect us so close to the wreck?" She asked. As much as she hated this and as scared as she was for Logan's safety, she had to admit, that it was an adrenaline rush. Her instincts told her what to do, her past training gave her the ability to do it and, as much as it disgusted her to admit it, – she was a soldier. _Let's show them that the training wasn't for shit._ Max thought and crawled even quicker hoping the 'civilians' would be able to hold the pace for a little longer.

  
They all heard the helicopter move closer and saw the conical ray of light following the trench a little further behind them. Max was at the front of the group, way ahead of the rest, while Logan, dragging his broken leg, was last. His glasses were so muddy he could hardly see a foot in front of him, and every time his hurt leg hit a rock on the bottom of the narrow trench he had to close his eyes and stifle a gasp of pain. But it seemed that Max had complete confidence in his ability to make it to the finishing line, otherwise she wouldn't have moved out so quickly.  
  
  
Max was the first to reach the plane wreck. She quickly scanned the locations of the others and of the helicopter, which was coming dangerously close to her team in the trench. She shook off her fear of something happening to Logan, and quickly snapped back into soldier mode, crawling out of the trench and wiggling her way, snake-like, towards the bushes 100 yards to the right of the wreck.  
  
Mole followed her – though not quite as gracefully – while Alec and Syl crawled out of the trench and waited in the grass for Clemente and Logan. Max and Mole watched from the bushes as the two X5s helped Clemente and Logan out of the water trench. With her night vision Max could make out the strained look on Logan's face and could have sworn she heard him wince in pain as Alec grabbed his arm and dragged him up. She moved towards the edge of the bushes, eager to get back and help Logan, but Mole stopped her with a hand on her shoulders.   
  
"He's gonna be fine. No need to put us all in danger." Mole said, looking in his water-drenched pockets for a cigar he could chew on to calm himself down. He would never have admitted it, but he was almost as anxious as Max. While they wanted Max and maybe the other X5s alive, they almost certainly had no use for him.  
  
*************************   
  
"Trooper 1 to Trooper 2. Reached the outer parameters. No sign of targets. Now backtracking along the trench. What's your status? Over." The first helicopter reported as it turned around and made its way along the trench towards the second helicopter.  
  
"Trooper 2 to Trooper 1. 200 yards from wreck. No sign of targets. Over." The second pilot informed.  
  
At the headquarters Renfro, Victor and the rest of the soldiers followed the exchange. Victor's jaw tightened. What was going on? How could they have gotten away again?

Renfro grabbed the intercom and changed the channel, so both troopers could hear her. "They have to be there. Find them and if you can't capture them, kill them." Renfro barked into the intercom, her patience gone.   
  
*************************   
  
Syl, Alec, Clemente and Logan slithered through the grass towards the bushes where Max and Mole were eagerly waiting for them. Alec and Syl reached them first, crawling in behind Max and Mole to hide inside the bushes. Clemente was the next one to reach them and Mole grabbed him and pulled him to his side, covering the hole he had made in the bush with a few loose branches that lay around.   
  
Just as the helicopter reached the wreck, Logan scrambled the last few yards towards Max. He was sweating heavily – not that it was noticeable considering he was already dripping wet from the trench. Max helped him crawl in and covered everything up with branches and leaves just as the helicopter spotlight swept over their hiding place.  
  
"You okay?" she asked, gently wiping the mud off his face with her sweater.   
  
"Yeah." Logan replied groggily and closed his eyes briefly, trying to slow his breathing. His leg hurt like hell and nothing in the world could have made him move from the spot he was in; lying on the ground in front of Max. He was glad, that all they had to do now was wait until the helicopters stopped their search. Unfortunately, since it was Manticore chasing them, that wouldn't happen any time soon. Renfro wanted Max, and she would not capitulate until she had her. But right now he was too exhausted to even think about it. He badly needed a rest. Closing his eyes again, he focused on enjoying Max's loving touch, as she gently stroked his chest.  
  
Max was glad they had all made it to their makeshift safe'house'. But she knew eventually they would have to move. It would not be dark forever, and in the bright daylight it would be easy to follow their traces through the flattened grass.  
  
********************   
  
The helicopter finished its wide circle around the wreck and got ready to land on the side of the plane where Max and her crew and the pilot and co-pilot had exited earlier. The pilot had already regained consciousness but still lay flat on the ground next to the still unconscious co-pilot. The thought, of answering the questions they were sure to have, hurt him; all he wanted was to lie there and not move. So he decided that the wisest thing for him to do would be to play dead.  
  
He heard the helicopter land, felt the strong wind it created and the dirt the wind blew in his face. Then he heard the engine being shut off and the sound of doors opening and closing. He didn't dare move his head to see who it was – he was sure his 'rescuers' weren't exactly the good guys either. When he heard footsteps coming closer he closed his eyes and willed his breathing to slow.  
  
He heard them coming closer and closer, and then could sense that they were standing right in front of him. He could feel their eyes on him even though he could not hear a thing. The presence of the soldiers was confirmed when he felt a hard kick in his side. He didn't cry out, but could not stop his body from jerking a little. He prepared himself for another kick, and when it came he didn't move at all.  
  
"He's out." said a deep voice, then he heard them move over to his co-pilot, presumably to give him the same treatment. Once they were, satisfied that the other man was out cold as well, the soldiers stepped closer to the wreck, guns at the ready.  
  
After confirming that nobody awaited them at the entrance of the wrecked plane, they stepped over the tree branch that was stuck in the side of the plane, and entered the wreck. They separated, one of the soldiers turned right – towards the back of the plane – and the other one went left towards the cockpit. On his way to the cockpit he opened the door of the front bathroom, only to find the board personnel knocked out on the floor. He shut and locked the door and proceeded to the cockpit.  
  
The other Manticore soldier slowly moved to the back, where he found the soldiers who were still tied up. After informing Control that the plane wreck was sans freaks, he rushed to untie them, hoping to get some more information from the groggy soldiers, even though it looked like they hadn't consciously noticed anything for quite a while now.  
  
****************************   
  
"Trooper 1. Any trace of the freaks yet? Over." Victor asked through the intercom.

  
"Control this is Trooper 1. No sign yet. We're half a mile away from the wreck inspecting the trench. Over." Trooper 1 answered.   
  
"Trooper 2 already checked the trench. Scan left and right of the trench for any evidence. Over." Renfro rasped into the intercom. She couldn't risk loosing them again. Especially not now. Even if she had to lock down the whole area – they would not get out – at least not alive.   
  
"That would take a lot of time. We don't know which way they went. They could get away if we spend too much time scanning one direction. Over." Trooper 1 answered.   
  
"Are you disobeying an order soldier?" Renfro barked back.

Even though she was indirectly threatening him, through an intercom, the pilot felt shivers run down his spine. "No Ma'am. Of course not Ma'am." The pilot answered, clearly intimidated.   
  
"Good. Scan the trench and surroundings. There must be a trace. And if your life is worth something to you, you had better contact us soon with better news. Understood?" This time Renfro threatened him directly – just to make sure he would not question her orders ever again.   
  
"Yes Ma'am. Over" Trooper 1 ended the communication and did as he was told – wise or not, he had orders.   
  
********************   
  
"What the hell is he doing?" Alec asked from inside the bush.   
  
"I don't know. Looks like he spreading his search cycle." Syl answered, watching the helicopter move in a wide zigzag move over the trench.   
  
"That'll give us some time till he reaches us." Mole mused.   
  
"Not enough. We have to come up with a plan. Those other two won't stay inside the wreck forever. They're probably just trying to wake up their fellow soldiers." Max stated, thinking hard about their next move. Her hand still rested on Logan's chest as he lay with closed eyes on the hard ground next to her. His breathing had stilled and his heartbeat was back to normal. If she didn't know better she could have sworn he was sleeping. But she knew he was thinking hard about how to get them out of there.  
  
"Maybe we should split up and spread out in different directions. That way they will have a harder time catching us." Clemente spoke up for the first time since exiting the plane.   
  
"We wouldn't get very far. They will catch one of us eventually and knowing Max's honor code of transgenics, they will catch the rest of us when we come to save the day." Alec replied mockingly.  
  


"Shut up Alec." Max answered distractedly. She checked on the helicopter that was circling around the trench. She estimated that it would take him another 20 minutes to get here. Then her eyes flew over to check on the second helicopter. She couldn't see if the two soldiers had already come out of the plane, as they had landed on the other side of the plane - out of her view, but she figured they would still be in there, trying to get some information from their colleagues.   
  
But they would be out soon. They had to do something. Even if it was risky. She quickly turned around to face Alec and Syl.   
  
"Can either of you guys fly a helicopter?" she said with a grin, as a plan formulated in her mind.  
  
"What?" Syl and Alec answered in unison.

Logan opened his eyes and struggled to a sitting position. He knew that tone in Max's voice and it didn't mean anything good.   
  
"Syl, Alec. You are gonna speed to the helicopter. Mole, Clemente you follow them and wait till they got rid of the pilot and signal that everything is clear. Then you take the helicopter and take off. By the time the second helicopter gets to you, you'll already be a few minutes ahead. Try to get back to Terminal City and warn the others that something is up and that Manticore is on our asses." Max proposed her plan. It wasn't perfect and by all means very risky, but it was the best – and the only – thing she could think of.   
  
"What about you and Logan?" Syl asked, apparently agreeing to Max's plan.   
  
"There's no way Logan can get over there quick enough with his leg broken. And you can't come over here and pick us up and still get back to Terminal City without them catching up. They won't know how many of us are in the helicopter. Plus they'll be too busy trying to catch you to check. So while they chase you, Logan and I can try and make it into the city and catch up with you later." Max explained and put a hand over Logan's mouth to stop him objecting. She knew he would feel bad about slowing her down, but she had had enough of him trying to apologise for it. His uneasy expression and his loud exhalation into Max's hand demonstrated his disapproval, and also served to distract Max from the task at hand.  She was still in heat and the close proximity of Logan's body was making her already overactive hormones take over.

Syl noticed the smouldering look Max threw at Logan, and shot her sister a glare of her own that served to put the younger X5's mind back on track.  She quickly removed her hand from Logan's mouth and took a couple of deep breaths.  
  
"Are you sure?" Alec asked, not sure that the plan would work.   
  
"Do you have another plan?" Max asked him with raised eyebrows, trying to focus on getting out of the situation alive, and not on how good Logan looked, even covered in mud and leaves. Alec just shrugged his shoulders, illustrating to Max that he didn't have anything better. That was good enough for her.   
  
"Alright then. Get ready. We need to hurry up." Max's final decision was made.  
  
"You ready Syl?" Alec asked, removing the branches from their hiding place. Syl just nodded and climbed out after him.  
  
"Give us a minute. Then follow us. But stay low. Wait behind the wreck, when we give you the thumbs up, you run to the helicopter. You need to run as fast as you possibly can. As soon as we start the helicopter they'll run out of the plane and open fire." Alec instructed Mole and Clemente and then turned to Max and Logan. "Max, Logan. Are you gonna be alright?"  
  
"We'll be fine Alec. Good luck guys." Max turned and grabbed Logan's hand to reassure him that she was positive that they would make it.  
  
"Yeah. I guess we'll be alright." Logan muttered, still a little uneasy. It was a long way into the city and he had no intention of letting Max carry him all the way there. But he decided to worry about that later, so he just said his good luck's to Syl and Alec who rushed off towards the wreck, their feline DNA making them a blur to unenhanced eyes.   
  
Mole and Clemente followed a minute later, leaving Logan and Max alone in the hide out place.   
  
******************************

_AN: There you go. An error free chapter with some action. Hope you guys liked it. Let me know what you think, will ya? _

_Lfbrox_


	14. Escape and Relax

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R ****

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still)

_AN: Fist of all thanks for the reviews. You are being really good to me so I decided to be a good little girl and reciprocate giving you this chapter quicker than I thought possible – even before I give you the next Facing Death chapter._

_As to the 5 heavily armed soldiers that exited the helicopter heavily armed to storm and heavily armed secure the heavily wrecked wreck.__ Well, Firmament, it turned out, that they were too heavily armed to actually make it very far. Poor guys. So I decided to take mercy on them and send them home to rest __J__ …………..I guess that's what you get for pulling in a beta so late into the story. If my angel doesn't leave me that won't ever happen again __J___

_Speaking of which.__ You've done an amazing job – as always. Thanks a bunch Sammi. We really make a good team, as long as I keep you happy with fluffy M/L stuff, right? __J_

_So this is quite a long chapter, I hope you enjoy it. _

**Chapter 13: Escape and Relax**

****

_……………..Mole and Clemente followed a minute later, leaving Logan and Max alone in the hide out place.   
  
_

"I don't have a good feeling about this Max. This is a chaotic plan, and it will inevitably lead us into disaster." Logan said after Mole and Clemente were out of his sight.

"I knew you couldn't keep your concerns to yourself." Max sighed and turned to face him.

Gently she cupped his face with both of her hands, smiling at him affectionately. "If there is one thing I learned from being on the run all my life, it's that chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction. And if we do nothing and just sit here and hope they won't find us – now THAT would lead us into disaster Logan." She said with smile, all the while inching closer to him.

"Max…" was all Logan got out before he was interrupted by Max's mouth and her eagerly probing tongue. He tried to push her away, feeling that it was neither the right time nor the right place for affections like this, but Max had a firm grip on his face and finally Logan gave in and opened his mouth to her.

Max wasted no time and intensified the kiss instantly, passionately attacking his lips, hungrily devouring his mouth. Logan participated eagerly but, unlike Max, he was still aware of their surroundings. Max was still in heat, and even though it was in its final stages and was slowly decreasing in intensity, she still forgot were she was and dove in to the passion, the electricity and the incredible feeling of kissing the man she loved. Eager to deepen the contact, Max got up on her knees in front of him. She loosened the grip she had on his head in order to grab his shoulders to balance herself as she inched closer in an attempt to straddle his lap, closing the gap between them for good.

Logan took advantage of Max's loosened grip, and pulled his head back and gripped Max by her shoulders to stop her from following his lips. Max opened her eyes to see why on earth he was stopping. She saw Logan looking at her with a serious expression on his face.

"Max," he said sternly. "Don't you think we should pay a little attention to the escape?" His tone was now less strict and his words accompanied a half-amused, half-teasing smile.

"Right, uh…we should do that", Max mumbled as she climbed off Logan and sat down next to him again. Her cheeks were still flushed and her mind was still coursing with ideas of what she wanted to do to Logan right now. But first they had to make sure the others were okay.

She peeked out of the bush they were hiding in and searched for Mole and Clemente. She saw them crouched down right next to the plane, where the nose of the plane had driven into the ground. They were to wait for Syl and Alec's sign to move around the nose quickly and jump into the helicopter – or so was the plan.

Syl and Alec had taken the other way around the plane, and made a wide circle so as to approach the helicopter from behind and have the element of surprise. They could see the helicopter pilot sitting inside the helicopter ready for a quick take off. The co-pilot stood in front of the helicopter, machine gun at the ready, keeping an eye on the still-unconscious plane pilots and keeping an eye out for any movement in the area.

Syl went first, Alec following close behind, until they stood behind the helicopter, where they stopped. Alec used hand signals to tell Syl that he would go around the right of the helicopter and take out the pilot, while she should approach the soldier that stood in front of the helicopter from the left. Syl nodded in acknowledgement, and they both moved simultaneously without making a single sound.

Syl ducked under the belly of the helicopter and crawled to the front. She waited a few seconds until she was sure Alec was inside the helicopter ready to go, then she pounced forward dragging the soldier down with her, immediately locking his head in a vice-like grip until he passed out just a second later.

The pilot saw the action, but before he could reach the intercom he felt a sharp pain in the head, and everything went black. Alec smiled to himself and quickly nodded to Syl while unbuckling the pilot and shoving him out of the helicopter.

Syl quickly checked the door of the plane. _Still no sign of the soldiers inside_, she thought, _but that will change in a second_. She gestured to Clemente and Mole that everything was clear. Then she moved towards the helicopter to get ready for take off.

"All clear. Let's get going." Syl said as she climbed into the helicopter and sat down in the now vacant pilot seat.

"You know how to fly this thing?" Alec asked, watching Syl operate a few switches and check some other functions.

"Piece of cake. Let's just hope we get out of here before they open fire on us." Syl said as she checked where Mole and Clemente were. She figured she would wait to start the engine until they were inside the helicopter, instead of risking them getting hit by a stray bullet.

"Oh come on Syl. Things are going smoothly. Let's have some fun here." Alec responded with a grin.

"Smoothly?" Syl asked incredulously. "Where the hell have you been through this trip?"

"Well, maybe not so smooth." Alec pondered for a second but swung back into action as Mole and Clemente approached.

"Ready?" Syl asked from the cockpit of the helicopter.

"Rev the engine," Alec replied with a grin as he helped Clemente and Mole inside.

"Just for the record," Clemente heaved after getting in. "I definitely don't like this."

"Just keep your heads down back there. Our exit might be a little rough" Syl yelled into the back and pressed the button to start the engine.

She grimaced a little at the loud roar that came from the engine and the starting rotor. _That could wake up the dead_, she thought as she waited for the helicopter to warm up and get ready to lift up.

With her enhanced vision she could make out movement inside the plane. Through the broken windows she saw shadows run towards the exit of the plane. She checked the instruments and noticed with a frustrated sigh that the rotor still needed some time to speed up.

"Alec," she yelled back. "They're gonna be out any second now. Can you keep them occupied for another, say, 30 seconds?"

"Sure thing. Just don't take off without me." Alec replied with a grin and grabbed one of the guns in the back of the helicopter, slid the door open and jumping out.

Just as the first soldier appeared in the doorframe of the plane exit, Alec fired at him with his borrowed machine gun, forcing the soldier back into the plane. After a few seconds Alec backed up towards the helicopter, as the 2 soldiers and the now untied soldiers inside the plane opened fire out the door and the broken windows. Alec couldn't dodge all those bullets that were raining in his direction unharmed, so he jumped back into the open door of the helicopter and yelled at Syl, "Take off, NOW!"

Syl check the instruments for another millisecond, and even though it would be better to wait another few seconds, she grabbed the lever and pulled it towards her. The helicopter swerved severely to the right as it began to lift of the ground. The soldiers ran out of the plane firing their guns at the helicopter.

Syl turned the steering controls roughly to the right while the helicopter was still rising. While it would have been a maneuver that would normally bring a helicopter to crash, it worked perfectly for Syl, who was trained for situations like this. Quickly the helicopter gained height and was soon out of reach of the soldiers and their guns, swiftly moving west, towards Vancouver again.

The soldiers on the ground stopped shooting when the helicopter had gone out of range. One of the soldiers pulled out his intercom frantically.

"Trooper 1, Base. This is Trooper 2. Transgenics just captured our helicopter and escaped. Need immediate backup. Over." The soldier yelled into the intercom.

"Trooper 1 follow them immediately. Support is on its way from Vancouver. Over." Victor shrieked into the intercom, sending Trooper 1 in the direction of the kidnapped helicopter. Then he changed the channel to speak to Trooper 2, and handed the intercom to Renfro.

"How the hell did this happen soldiers? Your mission was to find the transgenics, not deliver them a vehicle to escape. Return to base. This failure will have consequences." Renfro rasped into the intercom.

"Yes ma'am." the soldier replied with a pale expression on his face. He heard the intercom go dead and looked around to the other soldiers who looked equally pale and petrified.

"Well I guess that worked out fine." Max commented, turning to Logan with a grin on her face.

He didn't look quite as thrilled as she did about what had gone down. "What is it Logan? They made it." Max tried again to cheer him up and prove him that everything was going to be alright.

"And what about us? What are we gonna do now? How do you suppose I get into town like this?" He said gesturing towards his leg.

"I figure we'll wait till the helicopter leaves the trench. I'm sure he's been ordered to follow the other helicopter by now. Then we can crawl back to the trench and make our way into town." Max explained her plan.

"The trench again?" Logan groaned, remembering how his leg hit the rocks on the bottom of the trench.

"I know it's not the perfect solution Logan, but I figured that it's easier for you in the water, where your leg is flowing a little instead of dragging it after you while crawling the ground." Max explained.

"I don't know if that is easier. There's not a lot of water in the trench, but there are a lot of rocks I can bump my leg on." Logan complained and tried to think of something more comfortable, but to no avail; he wasn't about to let Max carry him all the way into town, even though she could have done so easily.

"Stop being such a baby Logan." Max playfully swatted his chest. "It's just a few miles, and besides…" She trailed off with a wicked grin.

"Besides what?" Logan asked, returning her seductive look.

"I'll make it worth your while once we're in the city and in a nice quiet little Motel." She finished, and leaned forward to give him a kiss full of promise.

This time it was her interrupting the kiss. They looked up to see the helicopter pass over them, apparently following the helicopter Alec and Syl had stolen. She quickly scanned the area and noticed the soldiers still standing in front of the plane talking to the plane pilot, who couldn't fake unconsciousness anymore.

With a nod and a soft smile at Logan she motioned for them to get going. "You ready?" She asked softly.

"Let's get this over with." Logan replied with confidence. He leaned forward to give her a quick kiss on the lips and then motioned with his head for her to get moving.

With one last smile and a gentle caress of his cheek she move the branches aside and started crawling back towards the trench. Taking a deep breath, Logan carefully moved into position and followed Max. _I can't believe I'm crawling around with a broken leg, with soldiers on the look out to kill me, and it's all for a girl._ Logan thought as a stick dug painfully into his as-yet unharmed thigh. _Yeah, but she's not just any girl, _another voice that sounded suspiciously like his old friend Bling retorted, and the first one replied, _tell me about it._

"This is Trooper 1. Do we have radar for the Trooper 2 chopper? Over." The pilot inquired of the headquarters, because he couldn't see the rogue helicopter anywhere. From what the soldiers on the ground had told him, the helicopter had moved west towards Vancouver, but that was all.

"No radar, they must've switched it off. They were heading west towards Vancouver. We have three more helicopters moving from Vancouver towards you. They are spread out so one is covering your straight line; the other two are north and south. Over." Victor answered in defeat. He knew that they transgenics were gone and that they would never catch them, no matter how many helicopters they sent to search.

Renfro had gone to her personal quarters long ago, where she could hear all the intercom communication but nobody could see her pale, defeated face. She also knew that they wouldn't catch the transgenics. 452 had slipped right out of her hands again.

"You think Max and Logan made it to Queensborough yet?" Syl said as she easily navigated the helicopter through the night. It was almost  dawn, but still dark enough to stay undetected as long as they flew without lights.

"I hope so." Clemente answered, even though he knew the question wasn't directed at him. But he felt more relaxed now, even given the givens. His family was still in danger, – or might already be dead, but he wasn't ready to give up hope just yet. They would make it back to Terminal City, rescue his family and then he could go under the radar as soon as possible.

"I don't think we should worry about them now," Mole huffed. "How about we come up with a plan for _us_ now. Where are we heading? We can't go back to Vancouver now."

"Cool it lizard man," Alec replied which earned him a growl and a nasty stare from Mole. "Let's move a little further until dawn starts breaking, and then we can land somewhere and move into the next city and contact Dix."

"Works for me," Syl said and directed the helicopter a little further south to get closer to a city near the border.

"Are you okay back there? We're almost there." Max said as she crawled through the trench.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Looks like there's a little bit more water in the trench the closer we get to the city." Logan responded, relieved that he could now almost swim.

"How's your leg?" Max asked swiftly making her way towards the lights that were so close now.

"Nothing a hot shower and a little tender loving care couldn't fix." Logan replied playfully.

_After all this time of being focused, stoic and task-oriented he chooses this moment to get cocky. _Max thought with a smile. _Maybe I'm rubbing off on him._

After a few more minutes they reached the end of the trench and crawled out. They lay in the grass in front of the outer parameters of the city of Queensborough. Max looked around for any movements near them and tried to figure out which way to go. Normally she would have just raced off, but she figured Logan could use a little breather. She looked at him as he lay in the dirty grass next to her, his chest heaving with exertion, smiling at him, Max smoothed his messy hair out of his face to study his gorgeous features.

He looked extremely exhausted and totally unkempt. But he also had the most beautiful little smile on his face as he lay there in front of her, eyes closed, clutching her thigh. "What are you smiling about?" she asked warmly.

"I don't know. Turned out you were right again. We made it. Maybe I should stop arguing with you so much." Logan said, opening his eyes and looking up into hers.

"About time you realized that. Haven't you learned that except when I'm wrong, I'm always right?" Max said with a grin, relieved that Logan was in such a good mood after having to drag himself such a long way.

"But we're not quite there yet. We need to get into the city and find a motel. Think you can make it?" She asked, concern evident in her voice. Now that they were out of the trench she had to think about the next part of her plan.

"Yeah. If you steady me I think I can walk. Just not too far." He replied, sitting up taking and the hand that Max offered him.

Slowly and carefully she helped him up, then slung a hand around his waist to hold him upright and placed the other one on his chest to keep him from falling over. He used one hand to grab the leg of his torn pants to help him move the fractured leg and the other he rested heavily around Max's shoulders. Starting slowly at first, they started walking towards the city, until they found a good rhythm Logan was comfortable with. He was sure if he wasn't so exhausted it would hurt like hell, but now it was just a numb pain.

After a few minutes walking in the dark towards the first street lights, Logan suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong? You need a break?" Max asked, concerned.

"No. It's just that we are heading towards the first Motel we can find, which is probably where the most lights are." He stated, and Max nodded.

"But look at us. There's no way we can make it there without raising any suspicions." He said looking down on them. Max realized that they looked really pretty disheveled. They were dirty, their clothes were ripped and Logan was severely injured.

"Let's take the backstreets then. I'm sure we'll figure something out." Max said, and they started walking again.

They moved silently along the backstreets towards a bright yellow and red neon sign that Max had discovered. _The 'First stop __Inn__'. That'll have to do._ When they were almost there Max stopped and scanned the area.

"So?" Logan asked expectantly.

"Over there," Max said and pointed at a back yard in the early dawn's light.

"What's over there?" Logan asked, not sure what Max was pointing at. He had lost his glasses a while ago and couldn't make anything out that wasn't right in his face.

"These nice, suburban families really dry their laundry in their backyard. I thought they only did that on TV." Max grinned.

Logan got her drift, detangled himself from her and leaned against the tree they were standing near. "Pick something nice baby." He said to Max's disappearing form.

She turned around and rewarded his remark with one of her beaming, unarming smiles, then quickly but quietly made her way towards the yard. She hopped over the fence and stood in front of the clothes rack that was deposited in the back yard near the back entrance. She quickly shed her shabby clothes, took a towel to wipe her body clean and then took a plain shirt and some jeans and put them on. The pants were a little loose, but they would work.

Wrapping her torn clothes into the dirty towel, she took the pile and walked back to Logan.

"You couldn't find anything sexier?" He asked, feigning shock as his eyes made out Max approaching him in jeans and a plain T-shirt.

"At least they're clean." She answered as she dropped the pile of dirty clothes in front of him. "Why don't you wait here, while I get us a room and then I'll come and pick you up." Max proposed.

"Yeah. Guess that would be best, otherwise I'll mess up your clothes again. Just don't take too long." Logan answered, understanding the truth in her proposal.

"Got some cash on you?" Max asked holding out her hand with an innocent smile.

"My wallet is in my back pocket. It'll be soaked though." He offered.

Max smiled mischievously and moved closer to him to retrieve the wallet. However when she was close to him she remembered his dirty clothes and her clean ones and gave up the idea to say good bye appropriately. So she just got out the wallet, gave his ass a little squeeze and moved out into the night.

Logan was left alone with a pile of dirty clothes, clutching the tree and hoping this day would be over soon – despite the fact that the first sign of sunlight announced a new morning.

"The sun will be coming up soon Syl. We should set down. We are we anyway?" Alec asked as he glanced out of the window.

"I believe Sunbury is just a few minutes ahead of us. I don't know how big this city is, but then again all we need is a phone, right?" Syl answered and directed the helicopter closer to the city she thought should be Sunbury.

"Right. Let's land the helicopter somewhere where we can hide it or at least cover it up." Alec said.

"There's a little forest right in front of the city." Syl announced.

"Perfect." Alec said. "Again. Too smooth for my taste. But still. Perfect."

"Status." Victor barked into the intercom.

"Trooper 1. On our way towards Vancouver. No sign so far. Over."

"Trooper 3. We're close to Suncrest. No sign of the targets. Over."

"Trooper 4. Close to the parameters of Renfrew-Collingwood. No sign so far. Over."

"Trooper 5. We're close to Tinbury. No sign so far. Over."

Victor angrily cut the connection to all the troopers and slammed his fist down on the desk, making everybody in the room jump slightly. There was nothing he could do now but wait. And he hated to wait. God how he hated to wait.

Max entered the 'First Stop Inn' and was immediately convinced that the Motel got its name simply because it was the first Motel on your way into Queensborough and not because it was anybody's first choice in anything. It was shabby, dusty and looked like most guests were paying for the hour instead of overnight.

She pushed open the door to the main office and, as nobody was there, rang the bell sitting on the front desk repeatedly until an old, fat, dirty guy stumbled out of what must have been the private area, coughing heavily.

"What's up girly? Didn't know you girls started working so early." He coughed up.

"Whatever. I'd like a room." Max said, her disgust showing clearly on her face.

"How many hours sweety?" The guy asked, amused.

"How much a night?" Max retorted.

"A whole night? Whoa girl. Hit the jackpot there, huh? How about 70 a night?" The sleazy guy answered.

"70?" Max asked in shock. "For a dump like this? Listen. I'll give you…uhm…40 a night and I'll pay you upfront for two nights." Max said and pulled out the soaked bills.

The clerk just looked at her and then the bills. Max just shrugged her shoulders. "Had a little accident. So will you take it?"

"Sure thing girly." He said and greedily took the soggy bills from Max. "Nice doing business with you." With that he handed her a key and two towels and went back to his private quarters.

Max sight in relief and made her way to the room to check out the best way to get Logan inside without anybody seeing him.

Logan still stood at the tree. He figured it to be around 5 am, as already some lights were being turned on inside some houses and a few cars were driving out of the driveway and past him. He ducked down a little every time a car passed his position. He wanted to crawl behind the tree to hide, but the sharp pain in his leg every time he tried to move stopped him from doing so. So he remained still, waiting for Max.

"Hey stranger," came a cheery voice from behind the tree.

Logan let out a sigh of relief, knowing that everything was going to be okay now. Max was here.

"Hey yourself," Logan replied with a warm smile.

"Ready for your hot shower and some tender loving care?" she asked as she picked up the pile of clothes in front of Logan.

He held out his arm for Max to slip under – which she did immediately. "Lead the way." he said and they slowly walked towards the hotel room.

Syl gracefully landed the helicopter close to a forest near Sunbury. She shut off the engine and, after the rotor stopped moving, they got out and carefully inspected the area. They couldn't make out another helicopter anywhere in the sky, but instinctively knew they were on their way.

"Alrighty. Let's cover this baby up." Alec said and went into the forest to collect some fallen trees and to knock some down himself. Mole followed him while Syl and Clemente collected large branches to stick between the trees Alec and Mole covered up the helicopter with.

"Home sweet home." Max announced as she almost carried Logan over the threshold of the shabby motel room.

"Thank god," was all Logan could say before Max lead him over to the queen sized bed and laid him down gently, so as not to hurt him even more.

Max went back to the door to shut and lock it and then turned to see Logan stretched out on the bed with a very satisfied smile on his face.

"Comfortable?" She asked.

Logan scooted over to the side a little and patted the space next to him on the bed. "See for yourself."

"I thought you wanted to take a hot shower first." Max said not moving from the door. She knew if she lay down on that bed now, she would most likely not ever be able to get up again.

"Too exhausted now," Logan slurred, already close to dreamland.

"Well, I am taking a shower. You want to join me? I could help you with your…uhm, leg." Max finished and had to grin when Logan suddenly bolted upright on the bed.

"Let's go then," he said and held out a hand for Max to help him to the bathroom.

Once there she leaned him on the sink for support while she turned the shower on to almost scalding. The windowless room instantly began to fill with steam. Max shed her clothes while Logan watched her with big eyes. No matter how often he had seen her naked in the past, it still took his breath away every time he saw her wearing nothing but a smile on her gorgeous lips and a twinkle in her beautiful eyes.

Logan leaned there, mesmerized, just watching her. She stood for a moment letting him watch her, waiting for him to shed his clothes so they could finally enjoy a nice hot shower together. As he made no move to remove anything Max stalked over to him.

"Will I have to do all the work?" Max said while grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifting it up. She was grateful, that Logan at least had the courtesy to lift his hands up to assist her.

"But I'm hurt baby." Logan stated with amusement as Max moved to unbuckle his pants.

"Weak men are such a turn off." Max teased and then started to lower his pants to his ankles. He carefully lifted first one foot and then the other and stepped out of his pants.

"Oh really?" Logan answered, seeing Max's eyes widen in shock – as she was eye level with his very obvious response to her earlier striptease.

Max just cleared her throat and dragged Logan's boxers down as well, revealing all of his heavily bruised, extremely dirty and painfully aroused body. "You've got to be kidding me." Max said as she stood up again.

Logan grabbed her waist and pressed her against him. She felt his errection press into her stomach and his hot breath on her face. "Whatever do you mean?" Logan asked lightheartedly and closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to hers.

Max responded by opening her mouth to his probing tongue, and wrapping her arms around his neck. She stepped closer to him and pressed up against his naked form wantonly until Logan yelped up in pain. Max's leg had made contact with his broken leg as she tried to feel all of him pressed against her.

"Let's have that shower first," Max said huskily. "I doubt the standing up thing will work for us tonight."

Logan just smiled as she dragged him over to the shower.

_AN: I know, I know. Don't start throwing tomatoes now. I promised you for the past 2 chapters some M/L fun. But I had to get them out of the bush first. But you have to admit, that the last paragraph leaves me absolutely no other choice than get right to the good SML part in the next chapter. Will you be nice little reviewers if I promise you to dedicate the complete next chapter to Max and __Logan__ and that Queensize bed in the trashy Motel room? I promise I will __J Thanks for reading._

_Lfbrox_


	15. Perfection at the 'First Stop Inn'

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R **(bordering on something else – so don't read it if you are easily offended)**

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk (still)

_AN: Alrighty. Here it is. Finally. Max and Logan alone in a shabby hotel room with a lot of time on their hands. I hope you like it and keep in mind that there is always the next chapter. I tried to give you in this chapter some SML paired with some emotions that are hopefully not too sappy. I hope it works for you because I kept you waiting for so long. Big thanks go to sammi for being my beta for my first action chapter ever to be beta-ed. I guess you deserve the title of "be ta best beta ever" __J__ (Am I getting a little silly here???)_

_So folks, as the story nears it's end I hope you enjoy reading it._

**Chapter 14: Perfection at the 'First Stop Inn'**

_…"Let's have that shower first," Max said huskily. "I doubt the standing up thing will work for us tonight." _

_Logan__ just smiled as she dragged him over to the shower…_

**'First Stop Inn' Motel:**

"LOGAN!" Max yelled. Having helped Logan into the shower and turned her back to him to adjust the water temperature, Max found that he couldn't keep his hands off her.

"What?" Logan answered innocently, not taking his hands off her slender, wet form.

"Let's wash this dirt off and then we can move to the bed. I have to check on your leg before anything even remotely close to what is going on in your head is going to happen." Max answered, turning around to face him. She grabbed his hands and dragged them away from her body, not trusting him or herself.

The moment Max let go of his hands, Logan winced in pain and started to fall. She hadn't realized, that, even though his motives for touching her were far from innocent, he still needed her to support him. Reacting on instinct, she quickly stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him to keep him from falling.

Logan took the opportunity to also wrap his arms around her and pull her even closer. This time not because he needed her to balance him – she had him pretty balanced with her grip – but because he needed her close.

"Now look who can't keep her hands to herself." Logan teased, running his hands down her back until he reached her ass, which he squeezed gently. Max felt a sudden rush of heat spreading through her entire body, but she recovered quickly and detangled herself from him, making sure to keep a hand on his shoulder to support him.

"Logan. I'm serious. Your leg is pretty badly wounded. Let me take a look at it and then we can play, okay?" Despite her intention of staying serious, Max couldn't help smiling at the fact that they would be playing later on.

"So you gonna play the nurse?" Logan asked in a playful tone as he watched Max spread the cheap motel soap bar over her body.

"Yep. And you better be a good patient." Max warned as she started to rub the soap over his body.

"Are you gonna wear a uniform?" Logan tried to tease, but the question came out quite shaky and strangled – Max had bent down and was now washing his legs. Max grinned at his reaction. It always amazed her how much power she had over him – the evidence of their banter at her eye level.

"Unfortunately we don't have any clean clothes Logan. And I doubt that our accommodations for the night offer nice, fluffy bathrobes." Max stood up and rinsed her hair under the hot spray of the water, continuing to speak with her eyes closed. "So no. No uniform. I guess we both will be butt naked." She was enjoying their banter and the hot water, both making her feel relaxed instantly. But she didn't need to have her eyes open to feel Logan's reaction to her last statement.

He gulped and automatically stepped closer to Max. He had always had a blossoming fantasy, and the mere thought of a naked Max playing the nurse for him was too much for him. He grabbed her hips and took another step towards her. This time Max knew better than to push his hands away from her body and have him tumble onto the shower floor. She wrapped one arm around his waist, gave him a quick peck on the lips and pulled him further under the water spray to get the soap out of his hair.

Logan amused himself with nibbling her ear, licking the crook of her neck and gently biting her shoulder, while Max tried to act unaffected by his ministrations and finish cleaning the rest of their bodies. Then she reached behind her and turned the slowly cooling water off.

As neither the lack of running water nor the quickly cooling air seemed to distract Logan from his mission of driving Max mad with want and desire, she firmly patted his shoulder.

"Ahm, Logan?" she started with a shaky voice, fully aware of the state Logan was in.

"Hmmm?" Logan mumbled into her neck.

"We're done. Let's get out." Max forced out, unable to hide her desire anymore.

He didn't move, so she softly pushed him away from her. When he felt cool air between their bodies, he seemed to snap out of his haze and realize that the shower was over. Looking forward to what was to come next, he pulled Max toward the shower door. "Come on. Let's go." He said, rushed.

Max just rolled her eyes at his hormone dazed, one track mind and followed him closely as he hopped on his good leg towards the bed.

**Sunbury:**

The sun was slowly coming up, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The air on this early morning was fresh and cool. Not a sound could be heard as Syl, Alec, Mole and a very tired and exhausted Clemente stood and admired their work. The military monster of a helicopter was fully covered with tree branches, leaves and bushes.

"If I didn't know that underneath that pile of nature is a black helicopter from a deadly, undercover government military force, then all I would see is a beautiful creation of nature." Alec said, satisfied.

"Yeah. I agree. Looks good." Syl replied. They were all tired and exhausted. Unlike Max they didn't have shark DNA in their cocktail, so they did need to sleep.

"Now what?" Clemente interrupted the peaceful silence.

"We're gonna head into the city. Find a secure phone and alarm the folks at home. Then I propose that we all catch some sleep." Alec said and started to walk towards the forest. The others followed.

"Okay. Lay down." Max ordered as soon as she walked into the bedroom. Obediently, and with a huge grin plastered on his face, he pulled down the covers and stretched out on the bed.

Max walked back to the bathroom and came out a second later wearing the t-shirt she had previously stolen. Logan sat up immediately and stared at her.

"Hey. What's with the shirt?" He whined.

"Lay back down" Max said strictly.

"But…" was all Logan got out before Max pushed him gently back down on the bed.

"Logan. I'm gonna take a look at your leg now. You need to tell me where it hurts the most so I can ascertain where you fractured your leg." Max said and climbed on the bed next to Logan's leg.

"But the shirt…", Logan asked yet again, not fully satisfied with the arrangements.

"If I sit here playing doctor butt naked, I highly doubt that you would be able to focus enough on your pain to tell me where it hurts. So let's get this over with and the shirt goes again. Okay?"

"Okay,", Logan replied, a little more satisfied.

Max gently moved her hands over his leg to check if she could feel any broken bones pushing into the skin. But she found nothing unusual and was relieved – they couldn't afford to get Logan into a hospital for surgery now, not with a government agency on their ass. Starting mid-thigh, she moved slowly down his leg, squeezing gently. When she was just below the kneecap Logan winced and jumped up slightly.

"Ouwww!", Logan yelped and automatically sat up in bed, staring at Max in surprise. "I think I would have felt that even if you were sitting naked on the bed."

"Sorry baby. I tried to be gentle" Max said softly and gently stroked his bruised leg just below his knee.

"So what's the diagnosis doc?" Logan asked, settling back down and watching her inspect his leg. It looked kinda funny. He was lying there butt naked and this beautiful woman was hovering over his leg like she didn't even notice him being naked and, despite the pain, still more than a little aroused. But he wasn't embarrassed at all. He and Max had spent a good amount of time naked together so it was too late to start with modesty right now. And he intended to spend even more time naked with her and hoped the diagnosis for his leg wouldn't turn out to be too bad.

"Well, Mr. Cale," Max started in a serious Sam-Carr-like tone, while still rubbing his leg. "It's not a compound fracture since the skin isn't broken. But it looks like you broke your tibia, and possibly also your fibula." Max mused. While she had had basic medical training at Manticore they had never really covered broken bones, as X5's had pain thresholds and rapid healing abilities, making it unnecessary to treat them. So she wasn't 100% sure which bone was broken without seeing an X-ray.

"And that means?" Logan asked, confused.

"The tibia is your shinbone", Max said and, for explanation purposes, ran her finger gently over Logan's unbroken shinbone "It supports your body's weight. The fibula runs alongside the tibia below the knee and it's on the outer side of your leg." Max further explained while Logan watched her finger play over his leg.

"So how do we handle it?" Logan asked.

"Well, from what I can tell you don't need surgery. Looks like a clean cut. We have to immobilize your leg, you need to rest it, we need an ice pack to cool it and reduce the swelling. We also need to keep your leg elevated on pillows, that'll also help decrease the swelling. If you only broke the fibula shaft you will need some crutches to walk with while it heals. If you also broke your shinbone, then we'll need to immobilize your leg with a long-leg cast so you can start moving again." Max finished, having told him everything she knew about broken bones.

Logan frowned. "So no more crawling through dirty water trenches anytime soon I suppose?" He joked and received a light slap on his healthy leg as an answer.

"Well, I don't know where I can get my hands on a long-leg cast or crutches right now, but you won't be moving for a while anyway, so we can worry about that later. Let's prop your leg up, cool it and hold it still. That should do it for now." Max said and went to the bathroom to put her pants on, leaving Logan alone on the bed wondering what she was up to.

When she came back from the bathroom, pants on, tying her shoes, he sat up again with a shocked expression on his face. "Okay. That's it. I agreed to you wearing a shirt but what is it with you putting on more and more clothes?"

Max had to grin at how cute Logan looked and sounded. She went over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed right next to him. "I'm gonna get some ice from the ice machine," she kissed him lightly, "then I'm gonna prop your leg up securely and immobilize it," kiss, "then put some ice on it," kiss, "and then…" Max kissed him again, more passionately this time, letting her tongue slip into Logan's mouth. After a few seconds she reluctantly ended the kiss. "And then we can play some more." She forced herself to let go of Logan and get up and move towards the door.

"And between all of this, when will those nasty clothes come off?" Logan asked and leaned back on the bed propped on his elbows with a mischievous gin on his face.

"As soon as I walk back through this door." Max replied with an equally mischievous grin, grabbed the ice bucket from the table and walked outside to find the ice machine.

Logan lay back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling with a satisfied grin on his face. Of course this trip hadn't turned out like he had planned, but it wasn't supposed to be a fun, pleasurable trip in the first place. But he had still hoped for some time alone with Max. Well, now he had it. He hadn't planned on the broken leg, or the shabby Motel. Or being separated from the rest of the team, hunted by Manticore helicopters trying to capture his girlfriend. Or being stuck in a town in Canada with no plan for getting back into the States. But he supposed life would never be perfect for them. What was perfection anyway? The best possible state, the highest point attainable. In a way he was a perfectionist by definition: A person who is satisfied with nothing less than what **he thinks** to be perfect.

Max was perfect to him. What they had together was perfect to him and for him. He loved her so much and he would not trade what they had and what they were for anything, even what other people might consider to be perfect. Because it wouldn't be perfect for them. A nice little house with a white picket fence and a back yard. A dog, steady nine-to-five jobs and 2.5 kids. That wasn't Max, and it wasn't him either. Maybe one day if things have cooled down they would be able to have a more normal and regular life. Maybe. But it would be their kind of a normal life. And it would be perfect for them.

All he wanted to do right now was to forget about his aching leg and his sore muscles and his exhaustion and wrap his arms around a naked Max and kiss her senseless. Kiss her and touch her and see what she would allow him to do without disobeying doctor's orders to rest, relax and stay immobile. He had to grin picturing him begging for sex and Max trying to stop him while still under the influence of her heat. His grin grew even wider picturing this.

That's how Max found him when she walked back into the room. Staring at the ceiling and grinning like an idiot.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Max interrupted his naughty musings, looking at him with an amused expression. She really loved this man. Here he was. Stuck with her in a shabby motel with a fractured leg, no clothes and a military task force on his ass and he still looked like the most satisfied man in the world.

"Why don't you come over and I'll show you." Logan replied, returning her loving gaze.

"Let me take care of that leg first. Then I will let you show me anything you want." Max replied and swayed towards the bed with the ice bucket in her hand.

"Stop!" Logan almost yelled.

Max stopped abruptly, dropped the bucket of ice, fell into a fighting stance and turned around to see who was behind her. When she saw nothing she turned around to Logan, who had an expression on his face that was a cross between guilty and amused.

"What Logan?" A confused Max asked.

"Well, you have walked through that door…" Logan said sheepishly.

"What??" Max asked again, this time a little more confused. Of course she had walked through that door. How else would she be in the room right now? Then it hit her.

"Ohhhhh…" she walked back to the door, locked it, and then turned around to face him again.

He settled back down on the bed, eager to see what was bound to happen next. Max kicked off her shoes in a quite unsexy manner. But then again. How do you remove shoes in a sexy way? Next she untucked her shirt and slowly started to lift it upwards, holding Logan's intense gaze, filled with love and passion, at the same time.

She wasn't wearing a bra, and as her shirt moved past her breasts Logan had to stare. His gaze was fixed on her perfect breasts and he had to swallow hard as the heat rose in him and his blood rushed quickly south. Pleased with the reaction she got, Max slowly removed the shirt completely, and threw it on the floor. She then sensually moved her hands down her torso, softly circling her breasts and moving them down her flat stomach down to the button of her borrowed jeans. Logan was entranced as his eyes followed the downward path of her hands. He wished it was his hands on her, but watching Max touch herself was almost as arousing as touching her himself.

She slowly unbuttoned the jeans, before pushing them down her lean legs tortuously slowly. She heard Logan's sharp intake of breath when he noticed she wasn't wearing any underwear. She swore she could almost feel his eyes move over her body. And she just stood there and let his eyes feast on her beauty. His eyes slowly traveled up her legs. He exhaled loudly, and unconsciously licked his lips when his eyes reached her womanhood, which sent a shiver through her body. His eyes moved further up her body, stopping momentarily to enjoy her perfect navel then moved up to feast on her perfect breasts. Her nipples were already hard and he could almost taste them, almost felt the texture against his tongue. He noticed her heavy breathing and it exited him immensely that it was he who had done this to her.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his eyes met hers again. Beautiful brown eyes met baby blue's. They didn't have to say anything. It was all there. No restraints. No walls. Everything they felt, everything they wanted, was visible in the depth of their eyes.

"Come here." Logan said, voice husky with need and desire for her.

Max slowly moved away from the door. Swaying her hips and holding his gaze. Even though he stared into her eyes willing her closer and closer, he was acutely aware of what her hips were doing, how her body moved. It seemed like a lifetime for both of them, before Max finally reached the bed and sank into Logan's waiting arms.

He didn't waste any time once he felt her settling down next to him, wrapping his arms around her and capturing her lips in a kiss that topped any previous kiss they had shared. Full of intensity, need, greediness, desire, lust and love. It was a hungry kiss, a loud kiss, a very wet kiss. A kiss that screamed for more. Max's hands ran up and down Logan's back, eventually coming to fist in his hair as he caressed her buttocks and the back of her thighs. Logan pressed her against his chest and couldn't hold back the primal groan that escaped his throat at feeling her naked breasts and erect nipples against his bare chest. But the pressure of her against him wasn't even close to enough for him. He needed more. Needed closer contact. He rolled on top of her and pressed his whole body against hers. The movement would probably have hurt like hell…if he could feel it, but he couldn't. All the nerve endings in his body were already occupied spreading immense waves of pleasure throughout his body.

Only when Max's knee bumped against his in order to pull him even closer to her did he wince in pain. Max quickly – but carefully – turned them over so Logan lay back on his back and she straddled his hips. He didn't object, sitting up to finally – after imagining tasting her skin and feeling the texture of her nipples against his tongue for long minutes now – cover her breast with his mouth. She gasped at the surprising, yet very welcome assault and arched her back to increase the intensity of the contact.

He bit, sucked and licked. He would never get enough of this sweet pleasure – and neither would Max. She grabbed hold of his head and moved it to her other breast. She wanted his mouth everywhere at once but settled for the pleasure of moving his mouth over her body as she liked – and he certainly didn't object.

She could feel his hardness on the inside of her thigh and while he pleasured her with that wonderful mouth of his she decided to give some pleasure back, inching closer to his erection and circling her hips erotically, making him moan loudly. Max was in heaven. She never wanted it to stop. But right now, while still in heat, she needed more. She grabbed his head and forced it away from her breast, leaning in for a serious kiss that left them both breathless.

But she still needed more. Needed him right now so badly that in a split coherent second she convinced herself that as long as they stayed in that position Logan's leg would be fine. She could take care of it later. There was no way she could stop right now. She lifted herself up so she was kneeling right above his immense erection, then broke the kiss.

"Logan…" she rasped out in the second her lips left his, before returning to his mouth to continue the earth shattering kiss.

Logan knew what she wanted. Felt her urgency because it mirrored his own. He couldn't wait to feel her wrapped around him and he wouldn't deny it to her. He grabbed her hips and, with aggressiveness he didn't know he possessed, pushed her down onto his aching shaft.

The intensity of their joining took their breath away, forcing them to break the kiss. Instead of leaning straight back in for another kiss, Max started to slowly circle her hips, holding his head in both hands and touching her forehead to his forehead and staring into his eyes. She wanted to see his every reaction to her movements. Wanted to see what it did to him, wanted to see what he needed from her.

She slowly rocked on him, enjoying the feeling of him filling her to the brim. He had his hands were firmly on her hips guiding her in her movements, showing her exactly what he needed and searching her face for what she needed. He loved having sex with her, loved how she reacted. Loved how she gave everything she got and loved to watch her coming undone with what she received. Sex had always been something he had done to satisfy his needs, sate his desire. But with Max it was different. Giving her the pleasure she wanted was the most satisfying experience in his world for him. It was the most stimulating thing to see her in ecstasy and knowing it was he who did this to her. This was perfect. His definition of perfect that he, Logan Cale man of letters, couldn't put into words, no matter how much he tried.

The slow rocking and circling of hips was enchanting, but Max needed more. She removed her hands from where they were wrapped around his head and moved them to his muscular shoulders. She leaned forward for a quick passionate kiss. Then she applied pressure to his shoulders, pushing him down towards the mattress. He hated watching her lips move away, and hated the feel of her breasts leaving his chest, but he obliged and settled down, resting his head against a pillow and staring up at her in awe. God she was beautiful.

Satisfied that now she had all the room she wanted to play, she slowly lifted herself up until only the tip of his cock was inside her. Then with a loud moan that could have woken the dead she slid forcefully back down onto him. Logan's eyes closed with the pure pleasure of having the most beautiful woman on this planet – and quiet certainly any other planet that existed – riding him so well.

Max picked up her movements and settled into a steady pace, moving up and down on him hard and fast. Logan forced himself to open his eyes to watch her, see her pleasure, and he wanted her to see his. His hands moved to her hips, not to guides her movements but to feel them. Max moved her hands over his muscular chest. She could feel his muscles ripple underneath her touch; she could feel the intensity of his pleasure rise whenever she changed her angle of penetration. A fine sheen of sweat had started to form on his skin, which only added definition to his well sculptured body. She could see the muscles in his arms tense whenever she rose and could hear the groans whenever she sank down on him again.

She wanted it to last forever, but her screwed up hormones forced her to move faster, to slam down on him that much harder, striving for the release she knew was close. He wanted to sit back up and feast on her breasts, to feel her closer, but the sight in front of him mesmerized him. She wanted him to turn her over and plunge into her as hard and as fast as he could, but she knew that that would have to wait until later, until his leg is healed. It was perfect as it was. Him and her and their never-ending lust for one another.

They could usuallydrag out their love making by slowing down when got too close to nirvana, but tonight – or this morning – they couldn't hold on any longer. Max's movements became erratic and Logan gripped her hips firmly and guided her, encouraging her movements. Max sank down on him a few more times before she reached the point of no return. Logan felt the same and couldn't help sitting up to bring his mouth to her parted lips. They kissed hungrily as the last shreds of control left them both. One last hard stroke was all it took for Max to reach an earth-shattering climax. She clutched Logan to her, breaking the kiss to let out a scream of pleasure that she just couldn't hold in. The feeling of her clenching hard around him and hearing her scream while having her sweaty body pressed close to him forced Logan to let go himself and he emptied himself inside her with an intensity he had never experienced before.

After long seconds of climaxing he collapsed back down on the mattress, taking Max with him. They were breathing heavily; their hearts were pounding like jackhammers. Max enjoyed this moment more than she would ever admit. There. Them. Exhausted and sated after the best sex ever. It never ceased to amaze her that every time she lay in his arms in the aftermath of their passion she felt like it was the best sex ever. Maybe because it was always the best sex ever.

Max rested on top of Logan – exhausted. Logan wanted to turn them on their sides and cuddle her in his arms for the rest of the night, but he knew his leg wouldn't agree with that. So he wrapped his arms around her possessively and allowed the exhaustion of the best sex ever and the events of the past 36 hours take him to sleep.

Max felt a surge of delight at Logan's possessiveness, and lazily reached over to drape the blanket over their sweaty exhausted selves and allowed herself to drift off to dreamland in the arms of the man she loved.

Logan's leg rested, relaxed and immobile on the bed, the ice cubes lay melted and forgotten on the floor while Max and Logan slept the sleep of the dead – together, wrapped in each others arms, the way it should be and the way it would always be if they had their way.

_AN: So what do think????? It was a whole chapter of Max and Logan. Maybe you expected more action, but consider __Logan__'s broken leg people. You want more action – give me a sign. The story is soon coming to an end and I wouldn't be lfbrox if I don't produce a happy, very physical last chapter._


	16. Five Rooms

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R****

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: I'm back. Finally. Believe me when I say it was not my fault. If I would have had a say in all of this I would have written and posted a new chapter weeks ago. But life forced me to spend 18 hours a day in front of a computer without allowing me the time to even write a single word for this story. Now I'm done and more motivated than ever. If this mood keeps up, then this story will be finished in no time. So I hope you're still there. I promise I'll make it worth your wait. Or at least I plan on._

_My biggest thanks goes out to my oh so patient beta, sammi. You waited and waited without a word from me and still – you are back with me. Not only as a beta but also an idea bouncer and friend. Thanks so much._

_Now everyone. Only a few more chapters left. Let's get to it. Here it is:_

**Chapter 15: Five Rooms**

_"…Logan's leg rested, relaxed and immobile on the bed, the ice cubes lay melted and forgotten on the floor while Max and Logan slept the sleep of the dead – together, wrapped in each others arms, the way it should be and the way it would always be if they had their way…"_

**"First Stop Inn" Motel, Queensborough**

The morning sun was shining through the half open curtains of the trashy motel room. Max's eyes opened for a second, but she was so tired that she closed them and snuggled closer into Logan's embrace, feelings herself starting to drift off again, still exhausted and incredibly comfortable. Then her eyes snapped open again, as the events of the last few days rushed through her mind like a trailer for some action movie. The plane crash, the helicopter search, the water trench, Logan's leg.

She sat upright and turned around to look at Logan . He lay on his back, a satisfied smile on his face looking incredibly handsome. Max watched as the arm that had previously been slung around her moved over the bed in search for the warm body that had lain there just seconds ago. When he came up empty in his search, he groggily opened his eyes, exhausted, but not willing to sleep without Max next to him.

She smiled as he tried to focus his eyes to continue the search for Max. He found her sitting next to him, smiling down at him over her shoulder. The bedspread pooled around her waist giving him a beautiful sight of her bare back and the side of her left breast. He started to smile too.

She turned around to face him, but didn't lie back down again. Disappointment that she had turned down the invitation to cuddle closer to him flashed through Logan, but was soon forgotten as he could now feast his eyes on a naked Max, who showed no intention of covering herself up any time soon.

"Good morning," Max said softly and lightly caressed his chest.

"Good morning angel," Logan answered, his voice a little raspy – whether from sleep or from Max's caress he didn't know.

"How are you feeling?" Max asked while moving down on the bed towards his propped up leg.

"Good. Given the givens. My leg hurts a little when I move it but other than that I have no reason to complain." He answered with a grin, moving his eyes across her bare chest.

Max felt his eyes on her and threw him a teasing glare, but continued removing the covers from his leg. Then she focused her attention on his leg, which was still heavily swollen. No doubt that their activities from the night before hadn't been the best exercise for his leg, but she was pretty sure she hadn't hurt him even more.

"We should have gotten more ice and cooled it last night," Max said a little guiltily, still observing his leg.

"Hey did you hear me complain?" Logan asked while rubbing her exposed knee.

"No. But I couldn't have expected that you do the rational thinking last night." Max teased.

"Hey, I wasn't the one in heat." Logan shot back.

"By the time we got to the hotel I think the heat was pretty much over," Max explained, trying to ignore Logan's hand, which was moving further up her leg. "But you know you can be damn distracting."

Logan's hand was very close to his desired destination when Max moved off the bed, trying to avoid his exploring fingers.

"Where are you going?" Logan whined from the bed, watching Max search for her clothes.

"I'm gonna get some ice now," she said and hastily put her clothes on.

"No chance I can distract you again?" Logan asked, attempting to disarm her with one of his cute little-boy-smiles.

"Nope." Max answered curtly, grabbed the ice bucket that lay on the floor and hurried out of the door before Logan decided to put on his puppy face. She knew that no matter how much she tried to ignore it, the puppy face would shatter all her determinations and she would join him in bed again before he was able to say another word.

**"Sunnyside Motel", Sunbury**

"Rise and shine everyone," Syl sing-songed after leaving the bathroom. Alec, the gentleman that he was, had fallen into the first bed as soon as they entered the door, and refused to move. Syl, the only woman in their little group, of course got the other bed.

Mole, who had already claimed the couch by the time the bed situation was sorted out, refused to forgo his own comfort for a mere mortal, leaving Clemente no choice but to sleep on the floor. No one had enough energy to go to the bathroom and wash up, so they all just fell I into their chosen sleeping place as they were.

Syl was the first one to wake up, and decided to take a shower and wash her dirty clothes in the sink. Feeling a whole lot better after her shower, she wrapped a surprisingly big and fluffy motel towels around her body and reentered the room to wake the guys. They would have to leave today and the sooner the better.

But her little, cheery yell yielded no response, so she had no choice than to go to each one of them and shake them, trying not get too dirty in the process. Clemente sat up after the second kick, Mole threatened to kill her, and Alec muttered some girl's name, telling her to get the hell out before he got up.

Since all her clothes were drying off near the bathroom window, Syl had no other choice than to sit on her bed in her towel and wait, while Clemente used the shower and Alec and Mole snored loudly in their respective 'beds'.

As soon as everyone was awake and clean they would move out and try to find a way to get back over the border into the US and then contact Terminal City for a pick up. Only there they had equipment that was secure enough to try to contact Max and Logan – wherever they might be.

**"First Stop Inn" Motel, Queensborough**

When Max arrived with the bucket full of ice Logan had already fallen back asleep. _Good._ Max thought. _This way he won't be trying to 'distract' me again. As much as it was fun last night, his leg's not going to get any better while it's not iced._

She found some small towels in the bathroom and wrapped the ice in them. Then she carefully propped up his leg a little higher and placed the ice on it. Logan stirred a little at the touch of her hands, but he didn't wake up.

After Max was done she slipped out of her shoes and jeans, leaving her t-shirt on, and slid back into bed next to Logan. She never needed a lot of sleep, but she had to admit that she was still exhausted. And it was still early in the morning. There was nothing much she could do now anyway, so she nuzzled into the crook of Logan's neck, and wrapped an arm loosely around his bare chest, drifting off into a dreamless sleep almost immediately.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle****:**

Victor paced nervously around the command center. Trooper 1, 3, 4 and 5 had reported in with nothing. No sign of the missing transgenics or the helicopter they had stolen. There was no guessing where they could be by now. Victor had ordered them to continue and spread out their search radius, while he waited for Renfro to come out of her office.

She had been holed up in there for hours. Victor had tried several times to talk to her, but nothing. She wouldn't answer. He wasn't really worried that something had happened to her physically, but he didn't like being in charge either. It would have helped him to know why Renfro was so obsessed with capturing 452. To him she was just another transgenic. And if she escaped, then there would be thousands of others right in Terminal City.

He didn't know what was so special about 452, that was why he would probably make the wrong decisions and issue the wrong orders – at least wrong for Renfro's liking. He needed her to come out of her office and advise him on what next to do. What the hell was she doing in there anyway?

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

"Nothing yet?" Jesse asked after entering the headquarters.

"Not a word," Dix replied without turning away from the monitors. "I searched the news and contacted some people but nothing. Do you have any clue on how to" Dix was interrupted by the phone.

"Hello?" Dix answered.

"This is Detective Sung. Are you in charge there?" Matt Sung asked.

"That depends. What do you want?" Dix asked. After Max left no-one had really been appointed as 'in charge'. They all just did their best to hold things together until the people 'in charge' came back.

"I'm a good friend of Logan's' and I work for Inspector Clemente." Sung explained.

"Then you should know that they are in Canada, negotiating the future of Terminal City." Dix explained, not sure how much information he could give him.

"I know. I also know that they should have reported in by now. We have not heard from Clemente yet. Any word from Max and the others?" Sung asked.

"Hang on," Dix said to Sung, and then he addressed the others. "Its Detective Sung. Says he is a friend of Logan and works for Clemente. He hasn't heard anything from him and wants to know if Max reported in. Does anyone of you know him? Can we trust him?" Dix inquired.

"Logan mentioned him a couple of times. But I don't know." Jesse answered and looked around the room to see if someone else knew anything.

"The boy is aiight – I mean for a male." Came a voice from the back.

"Original Cindy? What are you doing here? How do you know Detective Sung? Have you heard anything from Max and the others?" Dix shot his questions at 100 mph.

"Easy there Whitey," Cindy tried to slow him down and stepped up the ladder to join the party that had circled around Dix and the monitors. "I came here to check if you have heard anything from my boo. I haven't heard from her in days – that's not like my girl. And Matt Sung is a friend. You can trust him. He's helped Max and Logan out of a lot of trouble. He saved her ass once when she was holed up in prison with some black helicopter guys on her ass." Cindy finished and looked around the room.

"Thanks Cindy. If you say so." Dix said, and got Sung back on the phone."Detective Sung. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No problem. So have you heard anything?" Sung asked again.

"No. Not yet. What happened?" Dix asked, pressing some buttons to put him on speakerphone.

"I don't know. They were to report in as soon as they had settled in and started their negotiations. They should have been there for hours now. Clemente's phone is dead, so are Logan's and Max's. Do you know if they changed the plan at the last minute and Clemente forgot to inform us?" Sung inquired.

"No. No change in plans as far as we know. Something must've gone wrong. Do you know if anybody else was involved in those negotiations?" Dix asked.

"No. But I will look into it right away. There are not a lot of guys here that are pro-Transgenic. So I have to be careful whom I talk to. But I will let you know as soon as I find out anything." Sung promised.

"We contact you as soon as we hear anything from our side. Thanks." They both hung up.

"Something had gone wrong when even the police are worried." Jesse stated to no one in particular.

"My boo is tough. She's got out of every bad situation so far. And she has Logan and Alec with her. I wouldn't worry too much. Just make sure she gets back here in one piece – and her boy too. Can't have her moping around again." Cindy said and walked out of the headquarters to grab a free meal at the mess hall during her – earlier as usual – lunch break.

**"First Stop Inn" Motel, Queensborough**

Max lay awake, securely snuggled up against Logan, and thought about their next steps. With the strategic logic of a soldier and the loving care of a girlfriend she considered everything they had to do that wasn't too dangerous for Logan's leg.

Every so often she got up and changed the ice on Logan's knee, or checked if it was still propped up. Other than that, she had no desire and saw no necessity to leave his embrace. Logan stirred a little underneath her and slowly opened his eyes. He was happy to see Max still cuddled up next to him and tightened his embrace.

"Hey sleepyhead," Max said and moved a little in his arms so she could look at him.

"Hey yourself," Logan replied and smiled lovingly at her. "How long have you been awake?"

"For a while now," Max gave him a quick kiss on his lips before laying back down on his chest.

"What are you thinking about?" Logan asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

"About what we do next." Max answered.

"I'm all ears." Logan replied, and stared to caress her back with his right hand.

"Well. You are not able to walk yet, so we'll have to stay here for a few days. But we need some medical supplies, like painkillers, a cast, crutches and stuff. Then we need to get us some more clothes. We also have to find a secure way to contact TC and let them know what happened. Maybe you have contacts here or something. Then I suppose we need to get passports to get back to the US, and of course some cash. But the first thing we need is some food. I'm running on low battery." Max ticked things off her fingers as she explained her list of things to do.

Logan thought about if for a while, thinking of things that needed to be added to that list and problems he would be able to solve.

"The way I see it. We do need food. We should have money left to buy some. And you have clothes, so that shouldn't be a problem. We should have enough money left to stay one more night here, but after that I think we're pretty much broke." Logan calculated.

"I guess some breaking and entering is out of the question. Bet Manticore is just waiting for something like that." Max mused.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. But you could score some clothes for me from somewhere. And maybe some crutches. I have a safe house set up about 50 miles from here. We could move there. I also have some equipment there we can use to contact Terminal City. I have a contact man here, but I can't recall his number and without my laptop and a secure line I have no idea how to reach him. We have to figure out how to get to the safe house." Logan explained.

"Wow. That would really solve a lot of our problems if we get there. How about I get us something to eat first and then we can figure out the rest." Max said and started to get up when Logan pulled her back down.

"Just a few more minutes Max?" He pleaded.

"Okay," Max said and snuggled back down. "A few more minutes."

**"Sunnyside Motel", Sunbury**

"He's not moving an inch" Syl said angrily and kicked Mole a little harder.

All had showered, cleaned their clothes as much as possible and now they sat on the bed trying to wake Mole from the dead.

"Lizard man really is a heavy sleeper." Alec joked and went to the bathroom, returning with a trashcan of cold water that he splashed over Mole. Within a split second Mole sat upright on the cough. There was a dangerous look in his eyes, which focused on Alec who still held the bucket in his hands, grinning at him sheepishly.

"Good morning Mole. Hope you had a good night sleep." Syl said, jumping in between Mole and Alec, before the lizard man could wipe the grin off Alec's face.

"What the hell?" Mole said getting up and stomping toward Syl and Alec.

"Mole!" Syl yelled trying to get his attention. "We need to move out. It's close to noon. We need to find a way to get to the border. Manticore is on our ass and we need to warn everyone in Terminal City."

He stood still for a second and let everything sink in. After a minute it dawned on him and he rushed into the bathroom without saying another word. Alec, Syl and Clemente just stood in the room, confused about what had just happened. Then they heard the shower running.

"Who would've thought that Lizard Man needs a cold shower to start the day," Alec joked and placed the bucket back on the floor.

"Alright people. Now that everyone is awake. What do we do next?" Syl asked, determined to get this show on the road.

"Ahm, shouldn't we wait with the planning until, ahm, Mole is back." Clemente asked insecurely from his position on the bed. He seemed a little petrified after Mole's little show just now.

"We fill him in once he's back," Syl answered all business-like. "Now. Any ideas on how we get back ASAP?"

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**** - Renfro's chambers**

Renfro sat motionless in her chair and stared blankly at one of the four beige walls of her room. She'd sat like that for the past few hours going through various stages of emotions. First she felt nothing, unable to believe that 452 had escaped her again. Then rage, because 452 had escaped her again. Then defeated, because 452 had escaped her, ruining her last chance to reach her goal.

Now she sat there and felt hope. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe nothing had happened in that bathroom. Maybe she could still capture 452 and force her to live her destiny. It was her last chance to capture her.

Hope quickly turned into feeling challenged. Challenged to get 452 - no matter how unlikely it seemed.

She would not die – and nor would her kind. Renfro was sure of that. She would get 452. And if it was too late for her to benefit from 452's capturing– it wouldn't be too late for mankind. For her kind that is.

With grim determination on her face she pressed the button to open the sliding doors that lead to the command center. It was time to issue some orders – and let the people pay that were responsible for letting 452 escape.

TBC

_AN: How did you like it? We're getting closer to the end. Some of you showed in their reviews that they are on the right track. I have no idea on how the story ends. But it'll end eventually. Hope you're with me when it's time. I can't believe that it's been that long. End of 2001? Time to get to something new. Thanks for everybody who stuck with me for so long. Life can be a bitch sometimes but I try not to let it overwhelm me again like this for so long. Love._

_Lfbrox_


	17. Departures

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R****

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Hey guys. Didn't think I would be back so soon, huh? Well, I want to finish this as much as you want it to be finished. So I'm pushing myself. Thanks to my incredible beta sammi, who gives me ideas and works as quickly as possible, this fic will end in no time. Thanks to all of you that reviewed or that have read it. I know, that the story has mutated to something else than what I had initially in mind. But to round things up, I will get back to it in one of the last chapter._

_I agree. It's kinda funny that this fic is in production for a longer period than Dark Angel was actually on air. Imagine if they would have slackers like me as writers the show would still be there – working on Episode 5 __J___

_Anyway. Hope you have fun reading this. Here goes:_

**Chapter 16: Departures**

__

_…………With grim determination on her face she pressed the button to open the sliding doors that lead to the command center. It was time to issue some orders – and let the people pay that were responsible for letting 452 escape……………_

**"First Stop Inn" Motel, Queensborough**

A few minutes of cuddling turned into an hour before both of their stomachs growled so loudly that Max had to force her way out of Logan's embrace. She quickly dressed, then scored some food from the nearest fast food chain.

Now they sat comfortably on the bed, Max only in her t-shirt and panties and Logan still naked with the sheets covering him from the waist down. Burgers, fries, ketchup and coke were spread out on the bed and they both dug in hungrily.

"So, any ideas on how to get to that safe house?" Max asked around a mouthful of fries.

"Seeing as I don't know how to reach my contact," Logan replied after swallowing, "we need to score a car or something. I'm not really up to taking the bus."

"So when you say 'score' a car," Max grinned, "Do you mean taking a car that does not belong to us. As in 'stealing' a car, Logan?"

"Yes Max. I guess that's what I meant." Logan said, a little unnerved, knowing that a comment was to follow.

"Logan Cale - defender of everything that is righteous and good and legal in this world is encouraging theft? What has the world come to if such an honest and law-abiding man suggests such crooked methods?" Max asked him, clearly enjoying herself.

"Are you done?" Logan replied tersely. When Max nodded in amusement at his uneasiness, he continued. "Well, we have no other choice. And sometimes bad situations justify some desperate measures."

"Chill Logan. I was just teasing. So. I've gotta go 'score' a car, clothes and crutches. Then we can go." Max said, finishing the rest of her burger. She was still very hungry so she eyed the rest of Logan's burger with vast interest.

"You had 3 burgers and two loads of fries and onion rings. How can you still be hungry?" Logan asked, incredulous at her appetite. He had no intentions of sharing his food. God knows when they would next eat. But then Max started pouting. And Logan tried to ignore it.

After successfully avoiding her for 25 seconds, Logan shoved his burger over to her and concentrated on his fries. She leaned over, kissed his cheek softly and happily grabbed the burger and started to eat.

"Where do you wanna get some clothes and crutches?" Logan asked, watching in amazement as Max devoured his burger.

"Don't know," Max answered after swallowing the rest of her food. "Maybe I should try the hospital, or a shelter or something."

Logan didn't like the idea of Max going into a hospital. Only bad things happened there. But he decided to keep his concerns to himself and instead concentrated on squeezing the last bit of ketchup from the little bag onto his fries.

"What?" Max asked when she didn't receive an answer from Logan.

Logan's thoughts were interrupted by Max's sudden question and he accidentally squeezed the ketchup onto himself rather than the fries. "Damn!" Logan yelped, seeing the red substance land on his chest. "Did you bring any napkins?" He asked Max, while disposing of the ketchup bag and searching on the bed for the napkins.

"Yes. In the bag," Max answered. But instead of reaching for the bag that lay next to her on the floor, she got up on her knees and crawled over to Logan, her swaying figure reminding him of a cat. She straddled his thighs and placed a delicious kiss on his lips. "But who needs napkins, Logan?" She licked down his neck, softly biting his shoulder on her way and moved even lower, licking towards the red substance that slowly trickled down his torso.

Logan was surprised at first, but became more and more excited the closer Max came to her destination. She took her time, teasing his nipples on her way down until she reached the ketchup. Instead of licking it off in one smooth motion, she spread it all over his abs with her tongue before starting to clean him up tortuously slowly.

She moved further down, licking around his bellybutton. Logan knew what was to come and he watched in amazement at the beautiful woman who was about to go down on him. Max eagerly licked her way lower. She moved her hands to the sheet that covered Logan's body and inched a little further back to gain better access to her 'prize'.

Suddenly Logan yelped in pain, as Max's ass bumped against his propped up knee. Max's head shot up as she realized what she had just done and quickly moved away from Logan's legs. The spell was broken.

"I'm sorry Logan. I didn't think about…I mean I didn't mean to hurt you. Sorry." Max apologized and moved the package of ice back onto his knee.

"It's okay Max. Only hurt for a second." Logan tried to erase her concerns and pulled her closer, attempting to shut up any further apologies with a passionate kiss. But, after kissing him back for a few seconds, Max pulled away, not in the mood anymore for kinky games.

"We should get moving if we want to leave today." She said, while getting up and gathering the empty food cartons together.

"But Max. I'm okay. Really." He pointed at his knee with an innocent grin. "Doesn't hurt a bit."

"I know. But we should be careful for now." Max said, and moved closer to him. "We play later. Let's get outta here first. Okay big boy?"

"Alright. Alright. Guess you should really get going." Logan gave in. He knew that Max had a lot to do and it was already noon. With one last kiss, she let go of him, jumped into her jeans and got ready to go.

**"Sunnyside Motel", Sunbury**

"What about the helicopter?" Clemente suggested, after listening to Syl and Alec strategize for a few minutes.

"I don't think that's gonna work." Alec turned to look at the man, "First off, we don't have gas, second, we would just attract attention, third, they are looking for that helicopter, and fourth, we could never cross the border without alerting someone. And even if we could across the border without getting caught, we would just tip them off that we have entered the US again and heading back to Terminal City. If they haven't attacked yet, they will certainly do it then, before we could warn them that something is up." Alec finished, dismissing the idea and signaling Clemente to leave the planning to them.

"Let's see what other options we have," Syl started the chain of logic, strategic thinking. "We could take a car and head back to Vancouver and take a plane. That would be risky – they'll be waiting there for us. If we take the car and cross the border by foot, it'll take way too long, but it would be an option." Syl glanced around the room to get some feedback.

"Yeah, and if we get stopped we just say it's a family trip through Canada. Only me, my little sister, our petrified African-American father and our cigar smoking lizard." Alec dismissed the plan with his usual sarcasm.

"Fine. What do you got?" Syl challenged him, clearly annoyed by his attitude.

"Okay. Let's see." Alec started when suddenly the door burst open and a still pissed Mole stepped into the room grunting something that nobody understood. Alec just looked at him quickly and continued. "No helicopter. No plane. Car would be too slow. How about we take a boat from the harbor in Vancouver to Seattle, or near Seattle? There are a lot of boats leaving every day. We could just hide on board. That'll take us about one or two days to get there." Alec explained, already thinking about how to get to the harbor.

"That could work," Syl mused then she turned to Clemente, "Do you have cash or a credit card with you?"

"I still got my wallet but I doubt the credit cards will be of much use after crawling through the mud." Clemente answered and handed his dirty wallet to Syl.

"It should work. We'll rent a car and drive over to the harbor. Mole you can hide in the back. If we leave tonight, we could be there in the morning." Syl explained.

"Great. I get to sit in the trunk like a dog. Why can't I just stay here?" Mole grunted.

"Yeah. Why don't we leave you here? That would make it much less complicated to get around here. We're sitting here trying to think of something so we can ALL go." Alec yelled, fed up with Moles constant bitching.

"Oh don't hurt your head thinking for me pretty boy," Mole bitched back.

"You fucking asshole." Alec yelled and lunged at Mole, bringing him to the floor beginning to hit him with his fists.

Mole quickly recovered from his initial shock and spun them around so he was on top of Alec. He blocked Alec's fists and landed some of his own punches. Clemente looked at them in shock. Syl merely rolled her eyes and watched, waiting for them to stop. She really didn't wanna be involved in this fight.

Warehouse outside of Seattle 

As the sliding doors of Renfro's chambers opened for the first time in 7 hours, every movement in the command center stopped for a split second, before the busy typing and coordinating started again. None of them dared to turn around to look at her, but out of the corner of their eyes everyone saw Renfro roll out – her face blank, showing no emotions.

Victor was the only one who looked up from what he was doing. The only one who dared to, and the only one who was allowed to look at her directly. Renfro maneuvered her chair through the command center and came to a stop right in front of him.

He took one last deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come, and stood up. "Director Renfro, ma'am."

"Have a seat." Renfro rasped. She wanted him at eye level, even if that meant that he was staring her right in the face, something she hadn't allowed anyone to do since the 'accident'.

"452 is gone." She said. Victor didn't know if it was a question or a statement, so he simply nodded.

"We need to find her. As soon as possible." Renfro ordered.

"May I ask why the capturing of 452 is such a pressing issue, ma'am?" Victor carefully asked her. He needed to know what was the urgency to capture this particular transgenic in order to act accordingly.

"Were you taught to question orders?" Renfro barked back at Victor's inquiry.

"No ma'am. I'm sorry ma'am." Victor apologized hastily, regretting even asking the question.

"We have helicopters and ground troops spread in a 100 mile radius. If the teams don't come up with substantial evidences on the whereabouts of the escapees within the next hour, we are going to expand the radius to 150 miles. Ma'am. Also the borders are secured, giving them no chance to cross without being detected. All outgoing and incoming frequencies are under surveillance. Police in every major city nearby have been alerted and is communicating the warrants to every community." Victor reported his actions of the past 10 hours.

"Double the efforts. We need to find her. The quicker the better." Renfro ordered. She could see in Victor's face that he did not understand why this was such an urgent matter, and while she thought it best if he didn't know he was in charge of communicating her orders to the search teams. Somehow she doubted that he communicated the urgency to them as vehemently as she did to him. So she moved her chair closer to him.

"Victor," she said and saw him flinch. She never used anyone's name; never spoke directly to anyone. But now she was close to him, speaking with such a low voice, that he was the only one that could hear it. "This is a matter of life and death. We don't want 452 because she's the leader of Terminal City. Or because she's an X-5. She, or, rather, the genetic code she carries, is the key to a project at Manticore that has nothing to do with the situation in Seattle. This project has a deadline. Time is almost up. If you get me 452, I will see that your life is spared – when the time has come." With those words she rolled her chair back again.

"Now. Get me 452." She ordered, turning her chair and disappearing behind the sliding doors, leaving a pale and irritated Victor behind.

_What the hell was that? _Victor thought_. What project is she talking about? When what time has come? What special genetic code? Who knew about this? Did he just make a deal with the devil?_

**Queensborough**

After letting the clerk of the motel know that they would leave today instead of staying another night, and after some serious threatening – collecting the 40 dollars she paid upfront for the second night, Max strolled around the neighborhood of the Motel.

This area seemed to be the heart of Queensborough, with lots of Motels, – even some decent looking ones – lots of restaurants and stores. Max took out Logan's wallet and counted the money. Including the 40 bucks in her jeans pocket, she had 120 dollars left. Not a whole lot considering all the things she needed. _Well the first thing I need is a car_. Max thought and walked towards the more trashy looking part of the city, hoping that a stolen car would not be noticed too quickly there.

After rounding some corners and avoiding some gangs that were hanging out on the street, Max found herself in a dirty and quite deserted alley. It looked like a cemetery for broken down cars. It would have to do. Stealthily she made her way to the most decent looking car, a rusty black Pontiac Phoenix, and opened the unlocked driver's door. She popped the hood open and moved in front of the car to take a closer look.

Not that she knew a lot about cars – motorbikes were more her thing – but she could tell whether it would drive for a while or die after the first few miles. Satisfied that it looked fairly okay, she closed the hood silently and climbed back into the car. She fumbled for the cables underneath the steering wheel and pulled them out slightly. She stripped the coding of the cables and touched them together. After a few times the car coughed a bit, then started running. _Not too bad_, Max thought as she shifted into first gear and drove out of the alley.

**"Sunnyside Motel", Sunbury**

After watching Mole and Alec fight for a while, Syl had had enough. She grabbed Alec, who was currently on top of Mole and threw him on the floor next to Mole.

"Cut it out guys!" she yelled at them. "We have too many other problems for you two to be fighting about who is the alpha-male here. We need to get out of here – quickly. I don't care what issues you two have, but deal with them later. We need a car, we need to get going and we need to do this as a team. If we start killing each other we might as well call Manticore and tell them where we are, because that would be much quicker. Now get up and get a grip." Syl pulled them both to their feet, and shoved them into opposite corners of the motel room.

"Better. Now. Alec, you and Clemente go and rent a car. I'll go and get some food. And Mole, you stay here and cool down. Clear?" Syl ordered in a strict tone.

Nobody said a word, but they all mumbled something that sounded like 'okay' or 'alright'. After handing Syl some bills for the food, Alec grabbed Clemente and walked out of the room to search for a rental car agency – being so close to Vancouver they decided to do it the legal way.

**Queensborough**

Max cruised the streets of Queensborough. She was surprised how little attention she was attracting. All the cars that drove around the streets looked like they were about to break down. She opened the window, turned the radio on – which was surprisingly still working – and searched for a shelter or a hospital to get some crutches and some clothes.

After only a few minutes she saw the sign for the hospital. She parked the car close by and walked in. Her pulse sped up immediately after entering the hospital. The smell alone brought back so many bad memories that she wanted to turn around and get the hell outta there. But this was for Logan. She could do it.

"Can I help you?" the friendly nurse asked from behind the reception counter.

"Ahm, yeah actually you can. My boyfriend has sprained his ankle. I was wondering if I could get some bandages, painkillers and some crutches here?" Max asked sweetly, playing the innocent, helpless, ditzy girlfriend.

"Where is your boyfriend? A doctor needs to see him before we can give him anything." The nurse answered, not as sweet anymore.

"See, he can't move. There was no way I would have gotten him here." Max explained, her patience quickly ebbing.

"In that case Miss, I'm sorry but I can't help you." The nurse explained and then turned around to busy herself with something else – the conversation was over for her.

"Listen. If you could only give me some crutches, then he could at least walk and come here." Max pleaded.

At that moment, the front doors burst open and an ambulance team ran in supporting a heavily bleeding man. The nurse shot up from her seat and directed them behind a curtain where they laid the man on a bed. The nurse shut the curtain and ran down the hallway to find a doctor. That was Max's chance, so she hurried down the corridor in search of the room where they kept their supplies.

As it was a small hospital, the few nurses and doctors were all busy with the newest patient, so the hallways were nearly empty. Max found the supply room very quickly, picked the lock and sneaked in. She quickly found what she was looking for. Some painkillers for Logan, some more tryptophan for her – just in case –, some bandages, ice packs and – just because it was stored there – a little nurse outfit. With a big grin, she stuffed the supplies into a linen bag and walked carefully out of the room. The hallways were still almost deserted, and luckily the nurse from the front desk was still busy with the new patient, so Max got out of the front door without any problems.

She stored the bag in the trunk of her car. Now she had medical supplies and a car. She could not believe that she hadn't found any crutches in the supply room, but maybe she could carry Logan to the car. That would have to do. Max decided to get back to Logan so they could get going. The sooner the better. She turned back onto the main street towards the motel, when a sign caught her attention. _"Retirement Home Queensborough."_

With a smug smile she slowed the car and followed the sign. _If I don't find crutches there I'll give up. _She thought and parked the car close to the home. Through the glass front door she could see the reception desk. But she decided not to go in and ask. _Would cause too much attention if someone walks around looking for free medical supplies all across town._ So she walked around the building to check out the situation. It was quite a warm day, so most of the patients of the home, were in the back yard, enjoying the rare sun.

Most of them sat in wheelchairs, so Max figured they must have left the crutches for short distances in their now empty rooms. She smiled to herself and walked back the way she had come, this time checking out the windows. She found an open one and carefully climbed inside. She quickly scanned the room in search of some clothes and crutches. She found some pants, a button-down shirt and some t-shirts in the closet. Then her eyes landed on something next to the bed. _No crutches, but that'll do_, she thought as she grabbed it and hurried back to the car.

**"Sunnyside Motel", Sunbury**

When Syl returned with the food, Mole sat on the couch, still fuming about the fight with Alec. Syl didn't say anything. She had no intention of getting involved in that fight or take sides of either one of them. She simply gave him a sandwich and a can of coke from the bag, walked over to the little table in the corner and spread the food there for the others.

She had just sat down and was digging into her sandwich when Clemente and Alec walked through the door. The tension was thick and no one spoke a word.

"The car is waiting outside. Let's eat and then get going." Alec informed Syl, shutting Mole completely out. Then he and Clemente sat down next to Syl and started eating.

_This is going to be one long day,_ Syl thought but she was still determined not to get involved. So they just sat there and ate in silence. After the last bite of food was swallowed and the cans of coke were empty, they all got up, grabbed the few things they had and left the room.

While Alec went to the front desk to return the key, Syl sent Mole inside the trunk with a few threats and an icy glare. Clemente took the passenger seat and Syl hopped into the backseat. Alec arrived a few minutes later, got behind the wheel and stared the car. Without a word he sped away towards Vancouver.

**"First Stop Inn" Motel, Queensborough**

Max parked the car near their motel room. They would be leaving soon anyway, no need to park a few blocks away, even if that was a safer option. She grabbed all the stuff she had scored and dragged it towards the motel room.

Logan was hopelessly bored, still lying in bed. No TV, no radio, not even a book or magazine to read. He wasn't even tired anymore, so he waited impatiently for Max to return. When he heard the key turn in the lock he breathed a sigh of relief. _Finally._

"Honey, I'm home." Max said cheerily as she entered the room.

"Finally. I was bored out of my mind." Logan said and sat up a little more. "So you got everything we need?"

"Yep. And also something we don't need. But I'll save that for later." Max replied with a wicked grin, already looking forward seeing his face when she played nurse for him – this time dressed for the part.

"I can't wait." Logan returned and started to remove the sheet to get dressed.

"Those are not the most fashionable clothes, but they are the best I could find." Max said and threw the pants and shirts on the bed. "I'll just get your boxers," Max called from the bathroom, where they had washed and dried their few items of clothing that were not ripped.

She unpacked the bandages and ice packs and wrapped them around his injured knee while he put on the shirt. Then she helped him put on the pants, socks and shoes and packed the rest of the supplies back into the bag, that still hid the nurse outfit she had scored.

"Now what?" Logan asked after everything was packed up. "Got any crutches?"

"Well, not exactly," Max answered and walked back to the door, opening it and grabbing what she had stored out there. Logan watched her with interest. When she walked back inside his eyes widened at what he saw.

"A walker Max?" He asked, dumbfounded. What on earth was she thinking? First the old man clothes and now the walker. "A walker Max?" He repeated, hoping that it would make more sense the more he repeated it.

"Well, sort of." Max answered, deciding not to say anything else and let him have his fit.

"A walker Max?" He repeated yet again. "What did you do? Rob a retirement home?"

At that Max smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I was only kidding Max. But you really robbed a retirement home?" Logan asked flabbergasted. "I can't believe it. I'm not gonna use that thing."

"Logan. It's just for you to get to the car and to the toilet. It's not for you to use for life Logan." Max explained.

"I'm not gonna use that thing. Period." Logan repeated with more force.

"Fine." Max said and let go of the walker, which she had placed next to the bed. Then she spread her arms and looked at Logan expectantly. "Well then. Hop on. I'll carry you to the car then."

"You are not carrying me around Max." Logan said matter-of-factly.

"What then. You don't want to use the walker to 'WALK' and you don't want me to carry you. You gonna fly to the car or what?" she challenged him.

"Fine." Logan said and grabbed the handles of the walker. "Let's go. Just make sure no one is out there to see me."

"Good boy," Max said, grabbed the bag and went to the door. "It's all clear. Get in the car, I'll go and return the key, kay." She said, gave him a quick peck, and walked towards the office.

Logan used the walker and dragged himself towards the Pontiac. He would not admit it, but it was quite easy to walk with this thing. His hurt leg didn't even touch the ground and he still could move somewhat effortlessly.

He stored the walker in the backseat and sat down in the passenger seat and waited for Max, who arrived just a few seconds later.

"Ready to go?" she asked once she was inside the car.

"Yep." Logan answered curtly. Max just smiled and started the car and made her way out of the parking lot. She saw the walker lying in the backseat and turned to Logan.

"So how did it go?" She asked gesturing to the walker.

"Just drive Max." Logan answered and looked out of the window. How much would his poor male ego be able to take? Hasn't he suffered enough humiliation in his life? He let out a deep breath and leaned back and closed his eyes. He was in no mood to talk, especially not if he was being teased. So he decided to take a little nap. After a few minutes of silence Max turned the radio on and gently laid a hand on his left thigh and squeezed it gently.

"Love you." She said simply and let her hand rest on his thigh.

"Love you too," Logan answered and opened his eyes slightly to look at her. "But don't you make me do anything like that ever again." That earned him another affectionate squeeze and they drove on in silence towards New Westminster.

TBC

_AN: Thanks for reading. The next one is in the works. Leave a review if you've liked it. Also if you didn't like it. On a more personal note: Where are the oldies: Hav, Sib. Still There? Anyway. I hope you keep reading. Love._

_Lfbrox_


	18. Feels like coming home

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R****

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Another quick update. Aren't you proud of me? Thanks for all the guys who reviewed. I knew I would get you with the walker. Poor __Logan__. I just want to make sure that you know that I love __Logan__ and would marry MW in a sec.  I was just teasing him. _

_ My special thanks go to sammi for being the world's busiest beta, but still has time to beta my stuff. You rock._

_So without any further ado, I present you:_

**Chapter 17: Feels like coming home**

_"Love you." She simply said and let her hand rest on his thigh._

_"Love you too," __Logan__ answered and opened his eyes slightly to look at her. "But don't you do something like ever again." That earned him another affectionate squeeze and they drove on in silence towards __New Westminster__. _

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle******

Renfro sat in her room staring at her beige walls, – deep in thought. She hadn't planned on telling anyone anything about 'Project Unicorn' – let alone Victor. But he had to understand her urgency in capturing 452. He had to understand, that 452 must be in their hands before the embryos of phase one died. It had been a long time since Manticore burnt down, and none of the agents involved in 'Project Unicorn' had thought it would have turned out this way.

Back when they had started the project, 452 had been securely stored in a cell at Manticore. No one thought that 452 would escape and burn Manticore to the ground. Luckily they had established a separate lab away from the Manticore facility for this particular project. It was necessary, because the project was not purely Manticore funded and supported. If Manticore had found out that her priority was on Project Unicorn and not on finding and reprogramming the escaped X-series, then they would have eliminated her quickly.

After Manticore burned down and everyone thought Renfro was dead, she and her group had had enough time to take care of the project and phase 2. But the moron White had not managed to capture 452. Double crossing his own breeding cult to work with her and her group had occupied his thoughts so much that he had made mistakes. And you didn't capture someone like 452 if you made mistakes.

She didn't plan on making mistakes. It was her first shot on capturing her, but seeing how things had developed between 452 and her ordinary she had no other choice than to succeed at the first strike.

The shrill ring off the buzzer of her intercom brought her back to reality.

"What?" she yelled back, indicating that she didn't appreciate being disturbed.

"We have a report from a rental car agency in Sunbury. Looks like a car has been rented and charged to the credit card of Inspector Clemente." Victor reported.

"Have you sent a team? Is the area locked up?" Renfro asked and could not hide her excitement at the news.

"Yes ma'am, a team is on the way. They rented the car about 1 hour ago. So they can't be very far. We got the model and color of the car. With helicopter surveillance we will find them in no time." Victor explained.

"Did they say where they were heading?" Renfro asked.

"They said they wanna drive to the US. We have concentrated our search south down routes 10 and 99 towards White Rock." Victor answered.

"Good. Inform me as soon as you know something new." Renfro ordered and cut the connection.

"Yes ma'am." Victor said automatically, even though he knew that Renfro couldn't hear him anymore. He sank down in his chair and hoped he had just done the right thing.

**Tilbury****, ****Canada******

"We will be there in about 4 or 5 hours." Alec informed Syl and Clemente after they left the town of Tilbury.

"Great. Maybe we can get on a boat tonight while it's still dark." Syl answered while settling down on the backseat.

"We need to get back to Seattle as fast as we can. I can't imagine what they will do to my family - if they haven't killed them already." Clemente said fidgeting nervously in his seat.

"Chill Inspector Gadget. There's nothing we can do now. It's gonna take a while till we're there. Why don't you catch some sleep?" Alec answered trying to shut up Clemente.

Clemente didn't really feel like sleeping. But the prospect of talking to the cynical transgenic Alec for 5 hours made him close his eyes and think about what he would do once they'd returned to Seattle.

**Near ****New Westminster****, ****Canada******

"So where is this house?" Max asked after they had passed a sign indicating that New Westminster was 20 miles away.

"It's not directly in the town of New Westminster. It's near the outer parameters of the city, a little off the main road in a little forest." Logan explained and carefully watched the street, waiting for the left turn that lead to the safe house.

"Should we stop for any supplies on our way there?" Max asked.

"No. Better not. There are some supplies in the house. Nothing fancy or fresh, but it'll do. Besides, I don't plan on staying too long there." Logan replied and gestured to the road where Max was supposed to turn left.

Max made the sharp left turn and they drove for a few miles until the asphalted street stopped and sandy unsteady ground was ahead of them. "You sure we go right here?" Max asked inspecting her surroundings.

"Uhm. Hard to say. Haven't been here for a while myself. Why don't you try going right? I remember the house being surrounded by large trees. If we are on the right track, then it should be somewhere over there." Logan said, and pointed towards the large pine trees on his right.

"Alright. Let's try it. But hold on to your leg. It's gonna be a bit bumpy." Max warned Logan, before carefully making a right turn and slowly moving towards the trees, hoping the house would be there. She was awfully tired even though she had only been driving for two hours.

After driving for another 2 minutes in that direction, Logan pointed at something that peeked through the trees. "There. Look. The chimney of the house."

"Yeah. It is. I can't believe you saw that without your glasses." Max said shaking her head slightly. "And I'm the one with enhanced vision in the family."

"Yep. Even a blind chicken will eventually finds corn." Logan teased her while Max concentrated on maneuvering the Pontiac around the huge pine trees.

She parked in front of the door and shut the engine off. Without saying a word she went to the trunk and got the bag, while Logan remained seated in the car.

"You coming?" she asked Logan through the open window of the passenger door.

"Yeah. I guess the old man is getting the walker out of the car and dragging himself into the house." Logan muttered while watching Max walk up the stairs.

"I heard that Logan. Now stop being so sensitive and haul your ass in here." She yelled from the front door. Deciding that he might not want her to see him with the thing, she quickly picked the lock and went inside, giving Logan the space and privacy he obviously still felt he needed.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters**

As the hours passed and there was still no word from Max and the gang, everybody got more and more nervous. 10 TV's with different channels were being watched by a bunch of transgenics hoping to find out about something unusual happening somewhere and tipping them on where Max and Co. might be.

Dix and his group of hackers had tried to hack into Logan's computer system to gain access to all his sources. But they failed. The system allowed for entry only in the areas that were safe for Dix to know about. But Logan was known to be a trustworthy man, so he protected the informant net with all his ability. They were out of luck. Then suddenly the phone rang.

"Dix here." The transgenic answered annoyed, not in the mood for another reporter calling in.

"Hey, it's Matt Sung. Any news so far?" Sung asked.

"Oh hey. No. Unfortunately not. And the people here start to panic a little. About time we find out what is going on here before the situation escalates." Dix informed him.

"A friend of mine from the Canadian Police just called and told me that Clemente used his credit card in a Canadian town called Sunbury. He rented a car. He said that by the time he got there the clerk working there had already been thoroughly interviewed by some beefy looking guys wearing camouflage and driving expensive, military style Jeeps." Sung informed them.

"Camouflage. Military." Dix repeated shocked. The people within the headquarters who could hear both sides of the conversation turned deadly silent.

Manticore.

It was an unspoken word, but it seemed the only word that was going through everyone's minds.

Manticore.

They were back. And still after them. Still after Max.

"Hello?" Sung asked after a minute of deadly silence.

"Manticore." It was the only word Dix could get out.

**Safe house, near ****New Westminster******

Max dumped her bag in the living room and walked around the safe house, inspecting their new surroundings. _Not too shabby. Fire place, comfortable couch, good equipped kitchen, niiice king sized bed, a spacey bathroom and a fully equipped computer room – though it's a little dusty._

Logan had hoisted himself up the stairs and entered the house. He hated walking with this thing, but his muscles were sore from sitting so it felt good to stand up and move. So instead of sitting down at the couch or better yet lying down on the bed, he decided to stretch his muscles some more and look for Max.

He found her standing in the doorframe of the computer room, looking at the equipment. He silently moved behind her. "Not bad, huh?" he whispered in her ear.

Max turned around in surprise. "I'm loosing my touch. I didn't hear you sneaking up on me."

"Well, the old man is moving stealthily like a ghost with this magic walker of his." Logan teased while planting a delicate kiss on her neck.

"What do you say we get settled in here, grab a bite and see what this equipment is capable of?" Logan suggested as he moved back towards the kitchen.

"Yeah. I'm starving." Max agreed and followed him.

"Let's see what we have here…" Logan said and let go of the walker to search through the cupboards for something decent to eat. "We could have spaghetti and canned pasta sauce." Logan suggested and turned to her with a can of finished pasta sauce.

"Well, it won't be a Cale culinary miracle, but it'll do for now. I'm starving. I'm going outside and get some fire wood. And then we have to change the ice package on your knee." Max answered as she walked towards the door to collect some fire wood.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters**

"What you got?" Dix asked Jesse who tried to bring up some maps on the main monitor.

"Well, Sunbury is right here." He pointed to the spot on the map. "If they're going the fastest way back to the US then I think they'll drove south. Maybe cross the border by foot."

"How long a drive would it be?" another transgenic from Dix's hacker team asked.

"About 7 or 8 hours to the border I would guess. But they should know that Manticore is on their asses after using the credit card. How could they be so careless?" Jesse replied.

"Well maybe they are not going there. Where else could they cross the border?" Dix asked.

"Don't know. Too many possibilities. They could go back to Vancouver and take a plane, or head further east to cross the border there. Or north to catch a plane from an airport far away from the Manticore search radius." Jesse explained as he showed them the different possibilities on the map.

"They have to contact us sooner or later. Let's just wait and see what we can find out." Dix decided, not sure what else he could do. If only Logan was with them. But if Logan was still with the MIA transgenics, then he would contact TC as soon as he could.

**Near ****Parkdale Gardens****, ****Canada******

Syl awoke abruptly from her pleasant dreams when the car suddenly made a sharp left turn and sped 100 mph down a bumpy, uneven street.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled at Alec.

"There's a black helicopter behind us. We need to hide somewhere. Could be Manticore. Damn, I thought they were looking for us further south." Alec explained, and maneuvered the car towards a nearby set of trees.

Syl sat up and looked through the back window, where she could spot a black helicopter in the far distance. That was Manticore for sure. Within the next 30 seconds Alec had sped over the meadow and the car came to a halt within a little forest.

"You think they saw us?" Clemente asked, seeing the chances to get back home vanish.

"Don't know. They are still far away and it's getting darker already. Besides, there are lots of cars on the main road." Alec explained and checked how far away the helicopter was.

"How far until the harbor?" Syl asked while getting out of the car to check if the helicopter was following them.

"From here, about 1 or 2 hours by car." Alec told her and walked around the car opening the trunk.

Mole cursed, and dragged himself out of the huge trunk. He nodded quickly in Alec's direction and went to stand next to Syl who filled him in on the whole situation.

That was as far as an apology and the acceptance of an apology would go between them. A small gesture and a quick nod. There was nothing left to say between them about the fight. _Men_, Syl thought.

"What do we do now?" Clemente asked after getting out of the car himself.

"We wait until we know where the helicopter is going. When he's gone we get back on the road. If he's after us – well… I guess we fight." Alec explained, having had enough of Clemente's stupid questions.

**Safe House, ****New Westminster******

"I'll start a fire. It's a little cold in here." Max told Logan while carrying the fire wood to the living room.

"Really. You think so?" Logan asked Max curiously. Usually Max always teased him because he thought it was too cold at TC.

"Yeah. Just a little. Maybe I should join you in the kitchen where it's warm." Max barked back, not liking the way Logan's question sounded.

Logan knew better than to reply to something like that and poured the sauce in a pot. He heard Max trying to get the fire going and smiled at how cute she was when things didn't work out right away. He heard the little sounds and not-so-little curses but decided, again, that it would not be the smartest thing to comment on that. _Maybe this mood is the after effect of her heat cycle. Something like post-heat PMS._ Logan thought, grinning.

"What's so funny?" Max asked, joining Logan in the kitchen. She hopped on the counter and crossed her legs at the ankles.

"Nothing. It's just that dinner is already done." Logan lied.

"Yeah. Really hilarious. Let's eat then." Max said, and hopped off the counter to carry the pots to the table. But Logan stopped her.

"No. It's not done yet. What I meant was that there is nothing more to do. Just boil the water, put the pasta in and heat up the sauce. You know, no chopping, no bread, no salad. I just thought it was funny how we've come from regular culinary miracles in a fancy Seattle penthouse to canned tomato sauce and pasta in a safe house in Canada." Logan explained, and hooked his hurt leg over the rim of the walker, standing on one leg as he leaned against the counter and waited for the pasta water to boil.

"Well," Max said, and approached him slowly, "but even with all that luxury we still didn't have this great way to pass the time till the pasta water boils." She sidestepped his walker, wrapped her arms around him and fused her lips to his.

**Near ****Parkdale Gardens****, ****Canada******

Syl, Mole, Alec and Clemente stood next to the car, which was hidden by big bushes, and gazed towards the sky where the helicopter came closer and closer.

"I think he's following the path of the main road towards Delta. When he has passed us we can just follow him with a little distance." Syl strategized.

"Well we will know for sure in a few minutes." Mole said and nodded towards the helicopter that was by now so close that even Clemente and Mole could see it.

"It is certainly Manticore." Alec stated, now able to look into the interior of the helicopter. "But he has his eyes on the main road. I doubt they saw us. We should hop back in the car so we can get going as soon as he has passed us." Alec announced, taking up Syl's plan without even bothering to verbally agree with it.

"Great." Mole muttered and walked towards the trunk of the car. Alec walked around and sat in the driver's seat. Letting Mole out of the trunk was a sign of peace. Helping him back in would only look like he was mocking him, so he left that talk to Syl, who opened the trunk and helped the grouchy lizard man inside.

Safe house, New Westminster 

"I really don't want to complain Logan-" Max started to say once they had sat down at the table and started their dinner.

"But?" Logan interrupted her, already knowing what she was gonna say, but unsure of how she was gonna put it.

"But I think I'm kinda spoiled. With all the spur of the moment culinary miracles you always compose, I guess my taste buds always expect something divine when you are cooking. But I think, without insulting you, considering that you are hurt and had absolutely no ingredients, like practically none, that even I would have managed to cook this." Max babbled trying not to hurt his fragile male ego.

"Well," Logan began, but he stopped his counter, as Max was just too cute when she was babbling like that. "At least it's better than what we get at the mess hall in Terminal City. But still. It's really not that good. But to my defense, I overcooked the pasta because some beautiful girl was climbing me and my walker." Logan teased and ate the overcooked pasta and stale tomato sauce.

"Hey. I didn't hear you complaining." Max shot back, and finished her plate and got up to get seconds.

"You still eat with the same appetite no matter how it tastes, don't you?" Logan asked as he watched Max come back from the kitchen with another full plate of food. He himself was done without even finishing his first plate – he wasn't very hungry.

"Hey. Food is food. I've had worse." Max quickly explained, and started to devour her pasta.

"Once you're done we can check out the computers and send Dix a message if we have a secure connection." Logan mused while watching Max eat. He just hoped that after this plate she would be done. It seemed like he hadn't touched his computers forever, and he was a little itchy. But he would rather die than tell Max that he missed his computers.

"Earth to Logan." Max said and waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"OH. Max." Logan snapped up in surprise. "I was just thinking about how cute you look when you eat." Logan babbled.

"Mmhmm." Was all Max said before getting up. She took their plates to the kitchen and then went straight to the computer room.

"Busted I guess." Logan mumbled and grabbed his walker to follow Max.

**Warehouse near ****Seattle****:**

Renfro emerged from the sliding doors and rolled over to Victor, who was busy talking to one of the helicopters over the radio.

"…keep searching. Maybe they didn't take the main road. If you have approached the borders, return and search some of the back roads that are accessible with a car. Over." Victor finished and put the radio back on the table. He turned around to check the map for the back roads, but stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Renfro sitting there glaring at him.

"Haven't I made myself clear soldier?" Renfro rasped, her voice icier than usual.

"Excuse me ma'am?" Victor stammered.

Renfro gestured him to come closer and lowered her voice so only he could hear her. "Haven't I made it clear that capturing 452 as quickly as we can is our first priority? Haven't I made it clear that my life and your life depend on us capturing her? She is the key factor for the project to work. After breeding with the ordinary it may already be too late. We need the genetic code of her first offspring and it cannot be coupled with the code of the ordinary. We have a plan and I'm going through with it if it kills me. So you should give this mission equal dedication – because if you don't then I will kill you, no matter what the outcome of this mission is. Are we clear?" Renfro threatened him and then, without waiting for an acknowledgement from him, retreated to her chambers.

**Near ****Parkdale Gardens****, ****Canada******

"Alrighty. He's passed us. Let's get going." Alec said as they saw the helicopter pass them and follow the main road. He started the car, backed up onto the field and speed towards the main road.

"I do realize we have lost an hour hiding there, but do you have to drive like a maniac Alec?" Syl complained, holding onto the door in an attempt to stay upright.

"Sorry Syl. But we've really gotta time if we want to get on a boat tonight. They leave around midnight, so we need to hurry." Alec defended his driving style.

"If you drive like that we will sure draw attention to us, now won't we?" Syl attacked him.

"Fine. So we get on a boat tomorrow morning. Not sure when it will depart. Might be at midnight tomorrow." Alec replied sweetly and slowed down the car drastically, now crawling over the highway.

"NO." Clemente practically yelled from the passenger seat, shocking everybody. "We need to get back to Seattle as soon as possible. You might not care what happens to your people at Terminal City. But I'm worrying myself sick, wondering if my family is still alive or if they are being held and tortured somewhere. So no delays. We have to take the risk of drawing attention to us. Max would do it." Clemente finished.

"You heard the man Syl." Alec said with a grin and started to speed the car up again. When he heard Clemente exhale with relief, and saw Syl open her mouth to protest, Alec added, in a much softer and sincere tone, "He needs to save the people he loves. He would not be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life if he were too late or hadn't done everything in his powers to save her."

Syl looked at Alec from the backseat to see if he really meant what he had just said, or if it was one of his tricks again. She had also heard the 'Her' at the end of his sentence. And seeing his pained and honest expression, she decided to let that one slide. She would ask Max whom the person was that Alec was obviously taking about.

So she settled back into her seat and decided to keep an eye on the helicopter in front of them.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

"Hey everybody get over here," Dix yelled from the main computer. "We got a message from Max and Logan." At that everybody came running.

"Where are they?" asked some.

"Are they okay?" asked others.

"Okay people. Shut up and listen," Dix yelled over the cacophony. When silence fell he started reading the e-mail out loud.

"Everybody,

As you probably already know, things got nasty up here. Manticore is on our asses. They're trying to capture us. Not sure who's in charge. We were forced to separate. Alec, Syl, Clemente and Mole are on their way back to TC. Not sure where they are right now. We're in a safe house near New Westminster. We'll be safe here for a while. Try to arrange safe transportation for us back to TC. Detective Matt Sung will be able to help.

Password for accessing the informant net: DARKANGEL

Try to figure out where Clemente's family is and keep them safe. Clemente betrayed first the Seattle police and then Manticore. There are a lot of people out there who want to see him and his family dead.

Do not reply to this message. We suppose the outgoing lines of TC are tapped. We will figure out a way to communicate with you. We will contact you soon.

Max and Logan

Peace out."

Everybody just stood there after Dix finished. That was a lot of bad news. They had a lot to do. But where to start?

**Safe house, ****New Westminster******

After sending the e-mail and starting the installation of a secure and scrambled phone line, Logan and Max had retreated to the living room. Logan sat on the floor with his back leaning against the couch. His leg lay propped up on two huge pillows with an ice pack on his knee. Max's head was lying in his lap where she was enjoying a head massage from Logan, purring like a cat. The fire was warm and lulled the room into a romantic glow. The radio played some romantic classic music and they enjoyed a bottle of post-pulse wine. Not the good pre-pulse stuff, but it was still nice.

"You sure know how to stock up your safe houses," Max sighed, enjoying Logan's gentle touch.

"Well, I figured every safe house should have the basics." Logan explained sleepily.

"Like wine, a bathtub, music, a fireplace and nice surroundings. I like the way you figure." Max teased.

"Glad you do. Let's pretend this is a vacation. You never know when we will have the chance to do that again." Logan said.

"Well, we could at least try. There's not much we can do now anyway tonight. I just hope the others are okay and back on their way to Seattle." Max wondered out loud.

"I'm sure they are okay Max." Logan assured her as he moved his hands to her back and caressed her softly. "They know what they do. They hate Manticore as much as you do and they don't want to go back there ever again. And remember they have Syl with them. A voice of reason." Logan joked to get Max to lighten up.

"Yeah. Guess you're right. It's just a little scary to have Manticore back in the picture. I really thought they were off our case. We need to find out who and what is behind all of that Logan. Or it will never end." Max said, and snuggled closer into Logan's lap.

Logan hugged her tighter. He was able to deal with a lot of Max's emotions. Anger, frustration, hurt, doubt. But he didn't know how to deal with her fear. She was the strongest person that he had ever known. She gave him strength when he needed it, even though he didn't always accept it and definitely never asked for it. He was the more analytical one in their team. Assessing a problem and look for alternatives to solve it. She was a gut person. An emotional person. All he could do now was being a rock for her, like she had been for him so many times. He needed to hide his own fear of losing Max and be strong for the both of them – even in a walker and with grandpa clothes.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

"Okay. Dix, you and your crew access the informant net and try to find out about recent Manticore/Military activities." Jesse said after reading the e-mail again.

"Yeah. We're on it. You call Matt Sung and inform him. Maybe he can give you some info on Clemente's family." Dix replied.

"Okay. I better get a team together to move out and get them to a safe place. You guys can work on the safe transportation for Max and Logan." Jesse gestured to a group of X-6's. "We should also send a pick up team to the border. I don't know where they will cross the border, but we should have a team there on call." Jesse said to Dix while dialing Sung's number.

"I got it." Dix replied and pointed out some people standing there to take on that responsibility. "Oh and Jess," Dix said to him, while Jesse waited for Sung to answer the phone.

"Huh?" Jesse replied distractedly.

"Since you're on phone duty, better call Original Cindy and tell her Max and Logan are okay. Otherwise she's gonna – what is she calling it again? Put the smack down on our transgenic asses." Dix said with a grin and turned back to his computers.

Jesse grinned back and opened his mouth to reply, but Sung answered.

"Oh, Hi Detective Sung. This is Jesse, aka X5-487, we have news from Max and Logan."

**Boundary Bay****, ****Canada******

After driving – or speeding – for 1 ½ hours, Alec, Syl, Mole and Clemente had arrived near the harbor. They parked the car in a nearby alley and sneaked closer to the docks. As it was already dark, it was no problem for Mole to join them.

"They have already finished loading the boat." Syl observed, seeing that the crew loading the freight had already gone.

"Now we just need to find the right boat. We need to get to a computer and find out which boat is leaving for Seattle tonight." Mole suggested.

"I never thought I would be saying something like this, but I wish Logan and his Laptop were here." Alec mocked.

"Let me handle this," Syl said and tried to adjust her clothing. After getting rid of the dirt and opening the first 3 buttons of her shirt, she walked towards the booth, swaying her hips.

"What is she doing?" Clemente asked as he saw Syl approaching the guard.

"Getting information the way only girls can." Alec grinned, watching Syl lean across the counter of the booth.

"Wow, you have a lot of blinking buttons here." Syl drooled, looking seductively at the fat night guard of the dock.

"Ehrrrr. Well, yes. But this is very complicated. I have a lot of responsibility here. No ship leaves without my saying." The guard bragged. "So what is a pretty girl like you doing at the harbor in the dark?"

"I just love those big ships. I just sit here and watch them leave the harbor. I always dreamt of getting on a boat myself and floating down to L.A. and becoming a filmstar." Syl quipped sweetly. "Any boat leaving for L.A. tonight?"

"Sorry sweety. No boats go to L.A. from here. But this one there," he said pointing to a freight boat a little further down the dock, "This one is leaving for Seattle in about half an hour. You wanna watch me pressing the button so the ship is able to leave?" The fat guard said while raising his eyebrows.

"No thank you. Seattle is not really my dig. But maybe some other day. Catch you around big boy." Syl replied, concealing her disgust, and moved away from the booth, disappearing into the darkness.

"What did you find out?" Clemente asked enthusiastically when Syl returned.

"It's that one over there." Syl pointed at the boat the guard had said would leave for Seattle. "It's leaving in half an hour. We should hurry."

"Okay. Stay down and follow me. We enter at the loading ramp. They close it only a few minutes before they depart in case they have forgotten something. So we should be able to hide between boxes." Alec said and led the way through the shadows.

When they were right across from the boat they had to stop and wait for 10 minutes as 2 crew members were on the deck smoking a cigarette. Once they were out of sight, Alec and the others sneaked closer to the boat, always careful not to be seen.

"Over here." Alec whispered, and gestured to the open loading ramp.

They quickly made their way over there. "I go in first. Syl, you are the back up. Let's see if it's clear."

Alec jumped down on the ramp and carefully made his way inside. Syl also jumped down the ramp, but stayed outside, listening carefully in case she needed to come to the rescue. Mole and Clemente sat ducked down near the ramp on the dock.

After a few minutes Syl could spot Alec between a couple of huge boxes in the loading area. He gestured to her that everything was clear and that they should move.

"Alright. Get down here and try to be quiet." Syl whispered to Mole and Clemente. They were just starting to climb down when the loading ramp started to close.

"Hurry. Hurry. This thing is gonna mush you to jelly." Syl hissed. She grabbed Clemente off the wall of the dock, where he was dangling down, and pulled him inside the loading area. Mole, on the other hand, had decided that the closing of the ramp made so much noise already that his hitting the steel ramp with a big thud would go unnoticed. So he jumped and rolled down the pivoted ramp into the loading area.

They quickly got to their feet and ran over to where Alec had found the perfect hiding spot. Exhausted and out of breath Clemente sank down in between two big steel containers. Mole, Syl and Alec followed suit – not as exhausted, only glad that they were on their way and could grab some sleep.

They were on their way home. And while Clemente was relieved to finally get to his family, Syl, Mole and especially Alec wondered when Seattle, when Terminal City had become the home that they were now looking forward to arriving at.

TBC

_AN: So how did you like it? Praise, flames – everything is welcome. As long as it comes. Thank you guys. And no, this is not the end yet. I will let you know when it is in case you don't notice. Love._

_Lfbrox_


	19. Close to home and desperation

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R****

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Hey guys. Sorry for the incredible long wait. I won't let that happen again. I finished the story, so now I can give you a chapter a week. How does that sound? I hope you're still out there and review. _

_I have to warn you, that this chapter is not beta-proofed. My incredible beta Sammi is in major stress studying for the final exams. You go gurl. I'm sure those exams are a piece of cake for you. I wish you all the luck in the world. So blame it on me if there are any mistakes._

_Also thanks to idlehands452 for giving me a reason to write again. I hope you enjoy it. So here it goes._

**Chapter 18: Close to home and desperation**

_They were on their way home. And while Clemente was relieved to finally get to his family, Syl, Mole and especially Alec wondered when __Seattle__, when __Terminal__City__ had become the home that they were now looking forward to arriving at._

**Safe house, ****New Westminster******

At some point during their cuddling and talking while sitting in front of the fire place and sipping their wine the both dozed off. When Logan awoke in the middle of the night because his back was hurting so much from leaning against the couch, he was surprised to find Max still tightly cuddled up next to him – sleeping.

_This situation has worn her out more than she wants to admit._ Thought Logan and tried to move in a more comfortable position without waking her up. But unfortunately his leg slipped from the pillows where it was propped up and landed with a loud thump on the floor followed by a scream from Logan. Max head shot up from where it was laying on Logan's chest and looked around confused, trying to remember where she was.

"Logan? What's wrong?" Max asked in concern after having remembered where they were.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you." He smiled apologetically and took the opportunity to sit up and stretch his sore back.

"S'okay. How's your leg?" Max yawned and moved closer to his leg to check if the ice was still cold.

"Fine. But my back is killing me. Why don't you get some more ice for my knee and I drag myself to the bed?" Logan said and lifted himself up to grab his walker.

"Sure." Max said yawning again and got up to get to the kitchen and get some ice and to give Logan some privacy to hoist himself to the bedroom. She heard the toilet flush and decided to go to the guest bathroom to brush her teeth and give him some more time to settle in bed. When she returned Logan lay already in bed, wearing only his boxers and a smile.

"Nothing against your clothes, but I like that much better." Max said giving his body an appreciative look then moved to his leg to prop it up and secure the ice bag on it.

"Thanks. But you scored the clothes for me, didn't you?" Logan asked looking ruefully at the pile of clothes on the floor.

"The best I could do. But as we pretend that we're on vacation we won't be wearing too much clothes anyway." Max replied and stripped off her own clothes and much to Logan's liking completely.

"Well, you won't hear me object." Logan answered with a grin and opened his arms so she could settle in closer.

"I make sure you won't." Max shot back and swiftly moved on top of him careful to not hurt his leg but with enough force to tell him what was on her mind. Logan wasted no time and grabbed her ass while she hungrily started to devour his mouth. And Logan did not object but responded eagerly to her kiss and letting his hands roam her naked figure.

**On the boat:**

"We should have brought some food." Alec whined after a few hours on the boat. He had slept for a bit and now he was just incredibly bored and hungry.

"Zip it. We're all hungry." Mole growled back.

"Hey. Just trying to make conversation." Alec replied and turned toward Clemente. He sat next to him and stared ahead, not really looking at anything in particular. He looked too spaced out and deeply in thoughts to engage in some small talk so Alec tried Syl.

"Don't even try Alec. I'm tired and not in the mood to entertain you." Syl said anticipating that Alec was trying to get on her nerves next.

"Hey you guys can relax. We have already crossed the border. The only thing we can do is wait another few hours and try not to kill each other. I just tried not to bore myself to death. But fine. Let's just sit here and wait – in silence." Alec said and closed his eyes pretending to go back to sleep – which he couldn't.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

"Headquarters, Dix here." Dix answered the phone while typing up a storm browsing through Logan's files.

"Hey Dix. We have found Clemente's family. They were hiding out in Chinatown with some of Sung's relatives. Found a safe house yet?" Jesse asked hoping Dix would have something so he could go back to TC.

"Yeah, there's a house set up south of Seattle." Dix told him and gave him the directions.

"Anything new on the front?" Jesse asked already heading towards the safe house.

"No. We were able to access the informant net, but there are so many information that it's hard to find anything we need. It's all coded. I just hope we get in touch with Logan soon. We really can't do it fast enough." Dix explained a little disappointed.

"Okay. Let me know if you hear anything." Jesse said and hung up. He quickly glanced into the back of the van where Clemente's wife and his 3 kids where curled up in blankets.

"It's gonna be okay. We bring you to a safe place." He assured them and then concentrated on the dark road trying to avoid the sector cops.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"We have added 15 more teams to the search. We have the borders covered on all accessible locations. We have also added search teams to 3 major harbors on the coast ma'am. The helicopters have spread their search radius and we have send soldiers to join the police on the borders of Terminal City – undercover of course. Ma'am." Victor ended his report to Renfro who sat in her chair in front of him and listened carefully.

He did everything he could and mobilized as many people as possible in the last few hours without giving away his newly acquired knowledge of Renfro's secret project. They still had not found a clue on where the transgenics might be, but he did the best he could. He only hoped that Renfro would see that. He had not found out anymore information on the whole 'project unicorn' but he intended to do so. But first he should make sure that Renfro would not kill him so he could investigate.

"Okay." Renfro finally rasped. "Inform me as soon as you hear anything." With that she rolled back to her chambers. When the sliding doors finally closed behind her Victor slumped down in his seat and let out a deep breath. That might have just saved his life.

He got up on still shaky legs, gabbed his cell phone and when he made sure no one was looking he slid a scrambling device in the pocket of his jacket.

"I need to catch some fresh air," he informed the soldiers who sat next to him on the communication terminal. "Keep monitoring the teams and inform me as soon as anything turns up."

"Ay sir." Was the collective answer from the soldiers. With a brief nod in their general direction Victor gabbed his jacket and walked out the door – looking more confident than he felt. He closed the door behind him and stood for a few seconds enjoying the fresh morning air. After a while he walked further away towards his car.

**Safe house, ****New Westminster**

Max was impatiently squirming on top of Logan. Not that she was thinking too much, but she figured that she would have to move from her comfortable and first and foremost extremely stimulating and arousing position when she wanted to take his boxer shorts off.

Especially since she had to be extra careful with his knee. After pondering her options for a few seconds while still kissing him senseless, Max decided that soft and slow was for wimps and so she grabbed the offending garment on both sides of his hips and ripped it right off him.

Max' eager reaction caused Logan to laugh and therefore break the heated kiss. But that didn't bother Max all too much because she attacked his neck with eager force. That stopped Logan's giggling abruptly and caused him to groan, grab her hips and press her closer against his painfully hard errection.

Max didn't lose anymore time and lifted her hips, impaled herself on him and swallowed his surprised gasp by attacking his mouth yet again. She rotated her hips slightly, teasing Logan, driving him crazy with need and left him breathless.

After a few more rotations Max took mercy on him. Sensing his need to breath she broke the kiss, sat up, bracing her hands on his chest and took up her rotating motion teasingly slow. After regaining some breath and the control not to come right away, he smiled up at her and supported her rotating hips with a firm grip around her waist.

"Are you sure you're not in heat anymore?" He teased her while squeezing her hips. "Cause then we would have a supply problem. I don't think you can score stuff like that in a retirement home."

"Shut up Logan. Can't I want you just as much when I'm not in heat?" Max replied and proved her statement to be true by lifting her hips sliding him almost completely out and then sank down on him hard.

"Oh my god Max. By all means then have me." Logan yelped and supported her hips again, bringing her down even harder. He even tried to thrust up to meat her but that was almost impossible with his propped up leg.

They kept on moving like that for long minutes, sometimes slowing down a little when the release came too close only to pick up even more speed, making the movements even harder and more desperate. When suddenly Max stopped moving.

"Oh my god Logan!!!!" Max yelled.

"Yes Max. Don't stop. Don't stop." Logan replied with his eyes shut his orgasm so very close.

"No Logan. Stop. Logan. Stop." Max yelled again and shook him lightly on his shoulders to get his attention.

"What???" Logan asked incredulous. "Why are we always doing this?"

"Logan. The last time we did it….., oh my god, and the time before in the bathroom." Max stammered.

"Yes Max I remember. It was wonderful. Now where were we?" Logan answered clueless and moved his hands back to Max' hips. But before he could get her to move an inch and give him the release he needed Max swatted his hands away.

"No Logan. I mean. We didn't use protection then, did we? Please correct me if I was too far gone to notice. Please do." Max said pleading hoping that he would refresh her memory. But the blank look on Logan's face and his unmoving hands told her that she was indeed right.

"Oh my god." Was all Logan got out. "God. Max."

"I know." Max replied. Then they just sat there for a minute staring at each other – shocked, perplex.

**On the boat:**

"Alright guy's. We should start moving to the ramp. We're almost there. Maybe we can make it out without anybody seeing us." Syl said as she rose and checked the area for any movements.

"I don't think we're that lucky. The sun has already begun to rise. The guys that are going to unload the freight will be waiting on the dock." Alec reasoned and looked for a different way out.

"Besides with Mole in our team they won't even think we're some kid's fetching a free ride." He added while all the while looking at Syl, clearly trying to avoid the lizard-man's angry glare.

"Yeah. Guess you're right." Syl said and looked apologetically at Mole.

"How about we hide in one of those large boxes and have ourselves get unloaded onto the deck?" Clemente suggested out of the blue. They all turned to look at him in surprise. He had hardly spoken three sentences since they have been on the run. He always seemed to be in his own little world and didn't want to be disturbed.

"Works for me. Let's find a box that is spacious enough for all of us." Alec said getting up. Inwardly he cursed himself that he didn't think of this, but not admitting it by praising Clemente for this idea.

"Yeah. Let's spread out. But be careful. Never know when they will come down here to get the freight ready for transport." Syl suggested and they all nodded and disappeared in different directions in search for a box to accommodate them.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

Victor sat in his car that was parked a little further away from the warehouse. He had the windows down and welcomed the cool morning breeze that filled the car. He sat still and was starring at his cell phone, debating whether to call someone and inform this person about Renfro's hidden agenda. But who could he talk to? How could he explain something about this secret "project unicorn" when he knew so little about it and had even less evidence? How could he gather evidence without Renfro or one of her anonymous partners finding out? Who was in on that project? It really could be anyone. After all. Renfro had been and still was a powerful person.

He sat there for a long time debating in his head what to do. Then finally something seemed to snap in him. He dug inside the pocket of his coat and retrieved the scrambling device, attached it to his cell phone and dialed the only number he could think of dialing.

_AN: All right guys. A little short. Bad cliffhanger – but I needed to stop there. Suspense. But don't you worry. The next chapter is ready and waiting for you. Hope you liked it a little and thanks a lot for still reading and reviewing. __To quote Queen L. "If you're good to Mama.__ Mama is good to you." Till next time. How about same time next week?_

_Lfbrox_


	20. And the plot thickens

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Alrighty. One week as promised. Thanks to the guys who reviewed and everybody else who read the last chapter. I hope you like this one. Again not beta-read, cause my incredible beta is still trying to get smarter. So study on my friend. Now on with it:_

**_Reposting_**

**_This time it is the beta-read version. Thanks to my wonderful beta Sammi, who came back from the dead to help me finish this story with style._**

****

**Chapter 19: And the plot thickens**

_He sat there for a long time debating in his head what to do. Then finally something seemed to snap in him. He dug inside the pocket of his coat and retrieved the scrambling device, attached it to his cell phone and dialed the only number he could think of dialing._

Safe house, New Westminster 

They still sat there in silence. Still naked. Still intimately joined. Still perplexed. Neither could find words. But what were they to say? Whoops. My bad. Let's wait and see what happens? Shit! Fuck! What?

After long minutes Logan placed his hands on Max's hips and squeezed gently to get her attention.

"Max?" Logan tried after not getting a reaction from her.

"What?" Max whispered, but she still seemed preoccupied.

"Ahm. I don't know what to say." Logan finally said. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking that it's the worst timing ever. But I don't think that the timing would ever be right. I'm the leader of Terminal City and currently I can't even go there to do my job because I have a secret government agency on my ass trying to kill me. And if we get back someday then I'll still be the leader of a toxic sector full of transgenics. And you. Well. I don't think it was on your life's agenda to impregnate a genetically engineered killing machine." Max spoke, her gaze still fixed on the wall. "This sucks so much Logan."

"Max, hey. Look at me." Logan said and sat up to face her. "Baby. We're not even sure that you are pregnant and if you are then we will find a way. We don't have to stay in Terminal City. Someone else can take over the job." Logan reasoned.

"Logan. I'm the one who let them out. I'm responsible for them and for their actions. Just because I've found something better in life doesn't mean that I can just let them fight for themselves." Max interrupted Logan.

"Something better, huh?" Logan asked, a smile appearing on his face the first time since they started talking. "You mean having a baby with me and leaving Terminal City with me to start a family? I like how you think." Logan teased, wrapping his arms around her.

"Yes it would be better. I never dared to think about it. Dared to think that I could live a normal life, have my own family and live happily ever after and such crap. I never dared to dream about all that because it would have been a waste of time anyways. I cannot have a normal life. I can't turn my back on where I'm from and who I am and what I did. It's just not gonna happen Logan. And as much as I wished it could be that way, we just can't have the Disney version." Max explained and hugged him back so he wouldn't see the tears that ran down her cheeks.

"Max. Shhh baby. It's gonna be okay." Logan soothed her and rubbed her back. "We're gonna find a way." He pushed her back a little to look at her face. When he saw the tears that were running down her face he leaned forward and gently kissed them away, all the while whispering to her that everything was gonna be alright. When she stopped crying he let her hug him again. He nuzzled his nose in her neck and moved his mouth to her ear, kissing her neck gently as he went this way.

"I love you Max. Just a few days ago when you left me alone to get ice I lay in bed thinking about how perfect this is, what we have. Maybe not in a conventional kina way, but for us it is perfect. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and you aren't there and I'm scared for a second that it might have all been the best dream I have ever had and now I've woken up. Every time I see you, you take my breath away. You are the most beautiful person that I have ever met - on the inside and outside – and I can't believe that I'm the lucky guy who gets to hold you, kiss you, help you and be there for you. I don't want to lose that."

This time it was Max who pushed him back a little to look at him. "Logan Cale. Please tell me you are not proposing to me?" Max asked in shock. After listening to Logan's speech she wasn't sure where this would lead and she wasn't sure what she was going to say if he actually proposed to her.

"Ahm. I didn't plan to. But if that's what you want, I mean now with the baby and all…." Logan stuttered, not sure if she wanted him to or if she was trying to stop him from asking.

"No. No Logan. I don't want you to propose to me right now. And especially not because of the baby…."

"Max. I wouldn't do it because of the baby." Logan interrupted her, needing to make it clear to her that he wanted to stay with her forever – baby or not.

"I know Logan. I just think we have a lot on our plate already. Bad guys, baby, some more bad guys. I don't think we have time to plan a wedding. Besides. If - no -when you propose to me I want it a little more romantic than this." Max admitted and pointed to their naked, sweaty bodies.

"Are you going all girly on me?" Logan teased and leaned in for a long kiss that reminded him of something.

"Ahm Max." He breathed against her mouth, his hands roaming her body. "Now that the damage is done. You think we could finish what we stared earlier?"

"If you're up for it." Max grinned and wiggled her hips, noticing that Logan was indeed way up for it.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

After Jesse dropped off Clemente's wife and kids at the safe house, he had rushed back to TC to help Dix and his hacker team in finding out where Alec, Syl, Clemente and Mole would enter the US.

"Anything?" He asked Dix as he ran up the stairs to the communication terminal.

"Sung said they have the borders under special surveillance, also the airport and the harbor. If they have taken a plane then I suppose they would be here already. We know that they have rented a car, but that might have been just to trick everybody into believing they took the car to cross the border. So my guess is they took a boat before the Manticore guys started searching every ship." Dix replied while trying to find out what ships had left in the past 12 hours and which one of them was heading to Seattle.

"Good. Then I guess we get a team together and head for the harbour. Never know when they gonna get there and how many Manticore guys are already waiting for them." Jesse said and looked around to see who of the 'normal' looking transgenics would volunteer to come along.

**On the boat:**

"Would you watch were you put your big feet." Alec hissed at Mole who was constantly stepping on his foot or 'accidentally' ramming his elbow in his ribcage.

After some looking around they found a box that was easy to open and just big enough to fit them all. But after 1 hour of waiting in there the space seemed to be getting smaller and smaller.

"If you hadn't insisted on this box then we would have already been unloaded and on our way back to TC." Mole growled back. They had argued a little whether to take a box that was so far in the back of the ship, but in the end had decided, that it would be safer so they could see if the boxes were being checked by Manticore goons or not.

"Would you guys shut up already? Let's just be quiet and wait till we're on the dock." Syl ordered and tried to find a spot that was more comfortable. _I'm so glad once we're back in TC. I guess it'll be a while till I want to hang out with those guys again_. Syl thought and closed her eyes only to snap them back open when she felt the box being grabbed by a crane that lifted their box off the ship.

Warehouse outside of Seattle 

"I don't know Vic. There's really not so much digging around I can do without being detected." Agent Otto Gottlieb answered.

"But you work for Agent White and the NSA, Otto. Director Renfro mentioned him a couple of times, saying what a failure he was in capturing 452. So I thought there might be a link. Renfro said something about 452's genetic code that was important to her and a special, secret project called "Project Unicorn". And that they didn't try to capture her at the Jam Pony hostage crisis to resolve the Terminal City situation, but to enter a new stage in their project. White was there too, and he specifically tried to capture 452. There must be a link." Victor replied with a little desperation in his voice. Otto Gottlieb, an old friend and NSA agent, was the only one he could think of calling without getting himself killed.

"Why do you wanna know that anyway Vic? So what if you find out that they want 452 for a secret Manticore Project?" Otto asked, not sure why Victor was so interested in this and trying not to get into too much trouble.

"I don't know. I just have the feeling that something bad is going to happen. Something really bad. And a lot more lives are at stake than ours if they find us digging up some info. And if we find something out and can show evidences then maybe we will be able to stop this." Victor answered truthfully.

"Stop what?" Otto asked, not sure if he wanted to believe in Victors conspiracy theory.

"That's what we have to find out Otto. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Something strange is going on, and Renfro and White are involved. It's a step further from the stuff Manticore used to do. Do me a favor and try to find out as much as you can. I have the bad feeling that this is a global thing here." Victor said, trying to convince Otto.

"I'll see what I can do but I cannot promise you anything. If something is really going on, we have to be extremely careful. If they find out that we're on to them then we're dead faster than we can say 'no sir'. I'll do my best." Victor explained, now concerned himself.

"I appreciate it Otto. But I have the feeling that we don't have that much time left. Thanks. Call me on a secure line once you've found out something." Vic said and cut the connection. He took a deep breath contemplating if he did the right thing calling Otto. But what was he supposed to do? Sit, watch and wait till something unstoppable is going to happen? He stuffed the cell phone and the 'borrowed' scrambling device in his pocket and opened the door of his car and moved with quick steps back to the command center.

Safe house, New Westminster 

Max lay in Logan's arms, sweat slicked and trying to regain her breathing. Logan was beyond bliss, holding Max and listening to two hearts calming down from their raging beating.

"Can we still do that once you are this big?" Logan asked, still out of breath and pretending to embrace a pregnant Max.

"Don't know. Why don't we find out?" Max replied and snuggled a little closer to Logan. She was more than happy. She was delirious. She's never been happier in her life. But of course she wouldn't say that to anybody. Logan still wanted her. And their baby. _Our baby_, Max thought smiling to herself.

"Can I ask you something?" Logan asked and ripped her out of her pleasant thoughts.

"Mmmh." Max answered sleepily.

"How come you can run for miles, or kick an army's ass without breaking a sweat and without having trouble breathing and here you are, exhausted, sweaty and catching your breath after – and I have to say – amazing sex. How come?" Logan asked, pride and amusement in his voice.

Max didn't expect that question and had never actually spend a thought on that herself. She shifted a little in his embrace so she was able to look at him, suddenly not so sleepy anymore.

"Huh. I don't know. I never really thought about that." Max started. "I guess we weren't designed for this kind of exercise. At Manticore they weren't big on the sex front. You know, breeding and all. It was purely for reproductive purposes."

Logan heard the sadness creep into Max's voice and hugged her closer. "That doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Good thing you met me." He joked to lighten the mood. Max gently reached for his head and pulled him in a long kiss.

"Yeah. A very good thing."

Seattle Harbor 

"Around here." Syl mouthed to the group behind her and signaled to the huge boxes that were lined up on the docks. Mole, who was right behind her, Clemente and finally Alec nodded and ducked down to sneak through the boxes and get away from the docks.

Jesse and a group of 'normal' looking transgenics were waiting a mile away from the dock looking out for their guys or any form of military presence.

"You see anything?" The young X4 asked Jesse.

"The boat is still unloading. It came from Vancouver, but they could be in any or the boxes – if they actually are on a ship." Jesse answered and used his enhanced eyesight to zoom in to the docks. "I don't see Manticore anywhere either. Let's just hope that's luck and not that they have found them. We better check in with Dix." Jesse said and grabbed the cell phone.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

Victor sat in his chair, sensing that Renfro would be out any second to get an update. Thing was, there was no real update. All Manticore teams that were available, or were made available with Renfro's threatening, were on the search for one person. And the more time passed, the less likely it was to ever capture her. But Renfro wouldn't hear any of that, so he continued monitoring the troops, changing some plans here and there if need be.

Since his phone call with Otto he had been too nervous to focus on anything but Renfro's secret project and the search for 452. He hoped that he could still trust Otto and that no one would find out about their private investigations. He was so lost in thought that he almost jumped off his chair when his pager got off. He didn't need to check who it was. He didn't have friends or family who could page him on his private pager, so it could only be Otto. He hadn't expected him to answer so quickly, so either the project wasn't so secret at the NSA or things had gone sideways.

But Victor didn't have a lot of time to worry about things because he saw the doors slide open and Renfro roll out. _Great. Just Great. Calm down Victor_. He told himself and pretended to be calm and in control.

"Director Renfro, Ma'am." Victor said and stood at attention.

"At ease. Give me an update." Renfro said and stopped a few feet away from him, so she didn't have to look up to Victor – something Renfro wouldn't do.

"All troops are on the move, ma'am. They're circling the target areas inward. So far no sightings. Airports, harbors and border-crossings are under surveillance. They have no chance to leave Canada. Ma'am." Victor reported and waited eagerly for a response. Maybe he should try to get some more information from Renfro about 'project unicorn' but he didn't want to push it and appear suspicious.

"Damn. They've got to be somewhere. Keep on searching. I don't think I have to tell YOU how important that is." Renfro said, and without waiting for an answer – which doubtlessly would have been a 'Yes ma'am' – returned to her quarters.

Victor let out a breath, grabbed his jacket and without excusing himself left the command center.

**Seattle harbor:**

"Mole, get down." Syl hissed and pulled on his sleeve to get him to duck again.

"Was just checking." Mole said in defense. "No Manticore troops as far as I can tell."

"I bet they still think we're in Canada. Now it probably wouldn't be so easy to get on a boat in Vancouver." Clemente explained, now a little bit more at ease, so close from home.

"We just make it behind that warehouse over there and find a payphone. Then we call Terminal City and will soon be on our way to a hot shower, clean clothes and a cold drink." Alec suggested with one of his typical smirks.

"Sounds great." Mole said and bumped fists with Alec. But as soon as they realized that they were in the middle of a fight they turned away from one another, slightly embarrassed.

Syl rolled her eyes at this immature gesture. "Believe me guys. I need a drink myself after those past days with you." Syl said and started to sneak towards the warehouse.

_AN: There you go. Another update. So. Did you like it? Hate it? Lemme know. Next Thursday I'll be back._

_Lfbrox_


	21. Freaky clones and thought out plans

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Here you go guys. Another Thursday update. Again not beta-read cause Sammy is still busy. Any mistakes are totally my fault. So I hope you like it. It's almost the end. Enjoy._

**_Reposting_**

**_This time it is the beta-read version. Thanks to my wonderful beta Sammi, who came back from the dead to help me finish this story with style._**

****

**Chapter 20: Freaky Clones and thought out plans**

_"Sounds great." Mole said and bumped fists with Alec. But as soon as they realized that they were in the middle of a fight they turned away from one another, slightly embarrassed. _

_Syl rolled her eyes at this immature gesture. "Believe me guys. I need a drink myself after those past days with you." Syl said and started to sneak towards the warehouse._

Warehouse outside of Seattle 

Once again Victor sat in his car, attaching the scrambling device on his cell phone and dialing Otto's number with slightly trembling fingers. He cursed himself for being so nervous, being a soldier, but he had never been a soldier betraying his command before.

"Gottlieb." Otto's replied quickly.

"It's me Victor. What do you got?" Victor asked trying to hide his nervousness.

"Hey. You got lucky. There was an emergency and as no higher agents were there I got the passwords and clearance to use the central computer. I only got to take a quick glance so they didn't get suspicious, but it seems like you had the right hunch there." Otto quickly explained.

"Go on." Victor urged him.

"Well, it looks like it's a separate arm of the NSA that is cooperating with Director Renfro's Manticore group. Something like a special force that is operating as a separate unit and neither Manticore nor the NSA have direct authority or clearance to what they do." Otto explained.

"So who's responsible? Who is the authority?" Victor asked.

"Guess?" Otto just replied.

"Renfro and White." Victor more stated than asked.

"10 points to you my friend. The project headquarters used to be located at the Manticore facility. After 452 escaped for the second time they decided to relocate their operations away from Manticore. When Manticore burned down, they all suspected that the project was gone as well. But I guess that's just an urban myth from what you tell me." Otto continued.

"Yeah. Seems like it. So I guess I'm at the new headquarters from the project. Who would have thought?" Victor joked albeit bitterly. "So any word on what the project is all about?"

"It's Manticore man. Of course it's about selective breeding. Looks like Director Renfro herself comes form a long history of selective breeding. But not to create the perfect soldier, but to create the perfect leader. Cold, ruthless, heartless." Otto explained.

"Cold, ruthless, heartless. Guess they did a grade-A job on Director Renfro." Victor commented.

"Guess so. They got a bunch of Renfro clones in the tube. The only thing they needed now to make the perfect soldier who is not only physical perfection but also strategic and cold, is the perfect, junk-free DNA of a perfect soldier."

"452." Victor surmised.

"Exactly. She has the perfect DNA with some flaws that are not anchored in her reproduction DNA. Her last visit to Manticore took care of that. So her first offspring, bred with equally great DNA from a later X-Series should provide 'Project Unicorn' with the perfect DNA they need to mix to the already produced clones." Otto concluded.

"So Renfro clones' genetic code would overwrite the emotions in 452's DNA. And 452's DNA overwrites the physical weakness of the Renfro clones." Victor summed it up.

"Correct. Then you've got your soldier without a conscience. But also a very strategic, intelligent soldier with incredible strength. Unbeatable if you ask me." Otto continued.

"How many clones do they already have?" Victor asked.

"Don't know exactly. But it must be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands test tubes. Can't imagine what they could do once given the wrong order." Otto mused.

"Yeah. That's what's bothering me. But maybe it won't go that far." Victor said.

"What do you mean?" Otto asked irritated at Victors amused tone.

"Let's just say that Renfro is a little concerned about who our perfect transgenic breeds with." Victor said even more amused. Now he understood what Renfro's excitement about 452's little bathroom romp was all about. "Looks like that first offspring might not be as junk-free and perfect as she intended."

"So what are you gonna do next?" Otto asked.

"I'm not so sure. I need to contact 452 somehow. Let her know what's going on. If only I knew where she was." Victor thought out loud.

"Hey, you're in Seattle. I'm sure someone in Terminal City knows how to contact her and can tell her to hit the road as fast and as far as she can for a while." Otto suggested.

"I can't just walk in there. But I'll think of something. I'll let you know once I've found out something more. Thanks a lot Otto. Maybe you should lay low yourself for a while. I appreciate the risk you took. I owe you." Victor said and hung up after Otto said his good byes.

_What do you know? The master of all freaks is looking for little freaks to create an even bigger freak. I didn't see that coming_. Victor thought with a self-satisfied smile and strolled over to the 'secret project unicorn headquarters'.

SeattleHarbor 

They made it through the boxes and around to the backside of the warehouse without any trouble. Mole stole a blanket from a homeless guy and wrapped it around his head, as it was bright daylight by now. They made their way carefully but unhurriedly to the payphone on the back of the warehouse.

"You got a quarter?" Alec asked and looked expectantly at the others.

"Here." Clemente handed him a quarter. Alec inserted the quarter and dialed the number.

"Dix here." Came the reply from the Terminal City headquarters.

"Dix my man. How's it going without us around?" Alec cheered in the phone.

"Alec. Man. Where are you? Are you okay? Who's with you? What happened?" Dix fired at Alec.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold it there. Not so fast. We just came back from our little Vancouver-Seattle cruise and are disappointed that no welcoming committee is here waiting for us to take us back home." Alec replied without answering all of Dix questions.

"Believe it or not. There it a committee waiting. Just not right there. Where are you exactly? Jesse is waiting somewhere near the docks." Dix explained.

"Where're near dock 14. Behind a warehouse on a payphone. Can he come and fetch us?" Alec asked, not in the mood to sneak around this place any longer. It stank like fish.

"Consider it done. He's gonna be there in about 5 minutes. Just lay low. See you in a little bit." Dix answered, already dialing Jesse's number on the other line.

"You bet. Put the beer in the fridge." Alec said and hung up. "Jesse is gonna be here in 5, people." He said to the others and they all sunk down on the floor, exhausted, happy, hungry, and waiting for Jesse.

Safe house, New Westminster 

The sun was already standing high announcing that not the morning but almost the afternoon was there. Max blinked her eyes open but was blinded by the rays of sunlight that were shining in her face. She closed them again quickly and turned around, keeping Logan's strong arms wrapped around her. With a smile she noticed one hand lay on her stomach. Once turned around she opened her eyes again to see Logan stare down at her lovingly.

"Hey sleepyhead." Logan greeted her with this sexy morning voice.

"Hey. Why are you awake before me?" Max said and snuggled in his chest.

"Seems like the pregnancy makes you sleepier." Logan said and hugged her close.

"Hey, I'm sleeping for two now." Max defended herself with a little squeeze.

"Hey, I don't mind. Usually you get up in the middle of the night and sneak back in the morning. Now I can hold you all night. That's just fine with me." Logan said and dropped a kiss in her hair.

"Shut it Logan and get up to make breakfast." Max teased back. She didn't like that her usual behaviour was changing so soon in her pregnancy.

"Wait a second. If you are sleeping for two, does that mean you are eating for two aswell? Because I don't think I can afford cooking 10 portions of food twice a day." Logan said, feigning shock.

"Cut it out. We're not eating that much. Plus, it is food three times a day if you must know." Max corrected him.

"Okay, okay. Are you gonna help me at least?" Logan asked.

"Me? Cooking? No. I think I'll just wait here until it's ready." Max excused herself.

"I didn't mean helping me with the cooking. I meant helping me maneuver around. Me and my walker still don't seem to agree with one another." Logan explained.

Max was a little surprised that he actually asked for help, but figured it to be a good sign. They had other things to worry about now than his fragile ego. So she disentangled herself from Logan and threw the covers down leaven him lying naked, staring up at an equally naked Max.

"Let's get you dressed first." Max said and started to put his boxers on while he put on his t-shirt.

Figuring that that was enough to make breakfast in she helped him up and lifted his legs off the bed, helping him in a sitting position so he could reach the walker.

"You can manage from there, can't you?" Max asked as Logan slowly stood up and adjusted the walker.

"I guess I could. But watching you sounds equally delicious." Logan said and let his eyes roam over Max who was still sitting naked on the bed.

"Get your sexy ass outta here and make breakfast. The secure line should be done and we can check in with Terminal City after breakfast. After that we will see how we spend the afternoon." Max said with a wink and motioned Logan out of the bedroom.

"Great. Now I'm taking orders from a naked, wanton sex kitten. What have I been reduced to?" Logan muttered good-naturedly while wobbling into the kitchen.

"I heard that Cale." Max yelled from the bedroom and went to the bathroom while Logan started breakfast.

**TerminalCity Headquarters:**

"Welcome home everybody." Dix, Luke and a number of other Terminal City inhabitants greeted the group as they drove through the gates.

"Heya. Y'all missed us?" Alec said and hopped out of the van raising his hands like a boxer who just won the world champions.

There was a lot of very masculine shoulder-clapping and cheering. Syl just rolled her eyes and excused herself to take a long, hot shower.

Alec was telling a bunch of guys from his 'club' about their adventures. Mole listened to the stories and huffed and puffed a little here and there, while telling some of them who weren't listening to Alec about Alec's adventure – or shall we call it non-adventure – with the hooker. Clemente stayed in the van after Jesse told him that his family was safe and that someone would take him to them.

It was all cheers and lots of yapping, when suddenly Luke, who had stayed behind at the command center signaled a code red. Everybody immediately stopped talking and ran after Dix into the headquarters building.

"Yo, what's up?" Dix yelled while sprinting up the stairs to the monitors.

"It's Max and Logan on a secure line. Calling from Canada." Luke replied and turned on the speakerphone.

"Yo. Max. Logan. We made it home and you're still stuck there? How ya doing?" Alec yelled while still running up the stairs.

"Alec? That you? You made it? How bout Syl, Mole and Clemente?" Max asked, not expecting that they were already back at TC.

"Oh, don't worry Maxie. We're all here and we're all fine. Clemente is at a safe house with his family. Syl is having a shower and I'm looking forward to a drink. So where did you end up guys? How's your leg Logan?" Alec replied.

"My leg is fine. Thanks for asking." Logan answered. "And we're in one of Eyes Only's safe houses in New Westminster. Any idea how to get us home? I suppose they have all the airports, harbors and borders under surveillance by now."

"Are you safe up there?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. I guess we have everything we need for a while. I think we could stay her for another week or so. That gives Logan some time to get back on his feet. You think you could come up with something to get us home?" Max wanted to know.

"Just lay low for a while. There's no way we can get you out right now. We need to wait till things have chilled a little. Can you call in twice a day so we can give you an update? We'll look into things. All you can do is wait and recover right about now." Dix said.

"No problem. We're right here. Not going anywhere. We'll check in tomorrow. Maybe you can find out what Manticore is up to." Logan replied.

"About that." Luke interrupted. "I'm a damn good hacker, but I can't get into your system. Do you have the passwords at hand?"

"Sure. Grab a pen and paper." Logan answered and switched into Eyes Only mode.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

Victor came back from his little chat with Otto and good-naturedly entered the command center. He took off his jacket and turned to one of the soldiers.

"What do we know about X5-452? Her past. Her friends. Anything." He barked out.

"Director Renfro keeps her file in her office, Sir." A young commander answered obediently.

"Get me that file. I have a feeling that we might find 452 much quicker that way." Victor ordered.

"Sir?" That same soldier answered.

"Get me the damn file." Victor yelled back.

"Sir. It's in Director Renfro's quarters. Sir." The intimidated soldier replied.

"Fine. I'll get it myself." Victor said and pressed the intercom to reach Renfro in her office. Suddenly he didn't feel nervous anymore. He felt confident. He felt victorious.

"WHAT?" Director Renfro yelled into the intercom.

"Victor here. Ma'am. I'd like to request X5-452's file. I'm sure she contacted someone and I'm sure that someone might be in her file somewhere. Friends, colleagues, places she hangs out. I would just like to take a look at it if that is okay ma'am." Victor finished his request.

"Alright. Come and pick it up." Was all that Renfro said before she opened the sliding doors leading to her chambers.

Victor took a deep breath and entered. He had never been in there and he never thought he'd be privileged enough to enter. But now he needed to in order to get the information he needed.

The room was dark. No windows, no lights. The only light came from a patient monitor that showed the strong beating of her heart. But the sound had been turned off, so the room was deadly silent. Renfro sat there facing the wall staring at nothing. Her desk was bare except for a single folder lying on it. Renfro was just sitting there and Victor didn't know whether to say anything or just grab the folder and go. So he just stood there. Motionless. Waiting for Renfro to make the first move.

After long moments of silence she finally turned around and looked him straight in the eyes. "Here's the information you requested. I'm glad you are finally taking this thing seriously. I will give you an hour to study the file. Then you come back and tell me your plan. Dismissed." With that Renfro turned back to her usual spot facing the wall. Victor picked up the folder and left the room without a word.

TerminalCity 

Alec walked towards the makeshift bar they had established in Terminal City. He was glad to be back but still not satisfied that he hasn't made peace with Mole yet. Mole could get him into a lot of trouble. They all looked up to Alec. But after what happened on the plane he wasn't sure how long this would last.

He hesitated for a brief moment then entered the bar. He saw Mole sitting on a table gulping down a beer and smoking a cigar. Most of the guy's who had joined the ominous 'go to Logan's penthouse and get some' club were gathered around him and waited for Mole to tell them what happened in detail.

Alec went to the bar, grabbed a beer and a shot of Whiskey that was still left from the last supply delivery, and again with a moment of hesitation joined the others on the table.

"Gentlemen." Was all Alec said and gave an arrogant nod to no one in particular before sitting down with them. All he got in return were some equally arrogant nods and some huffing and puffing.

_Great. Obviously Mole had enough time to tell the story about me and the hooker. Why doesn't that surprise me?_ Alec thought took a large swig of beer to buy him some time. He decided that if no one was asking he wasn't telling anything. But what were the odds of them not asking?

Warehouse outside of Seattle 

Victor sat there for almost an hour, studying the file. There was everything Manticore had ever found out about 452. Where she worked, where she lived, where she hung out after work, her friends, her enemies, her skills, her allies. Everything. Victor was pretty sure that everybody knew who their dear friend 'Max' was in real life by now. He just needed to find one person who would trust him enough to listen to him. Someone who knew 452 well. Someone who had Max's complete trust.

He closed the file and looked up only to see Renfro staring at him. He almost yelped in shock. How long has she been there? It took him a second or two to regain his composure and he stood up. When he realized, that Renfro was so close that she had to look up in order to see him, he sat back down quickly.

"What's your plan?" Renfro rasped without any further ado.

"I've read, that they used her work place 'Jam Pony' as sort of an underground rail for transgenics who wanted to get into Terminal City. I suppose I could start there, pretending to be one of those freaks, trying to get into Terminal City. Plus she has a few ex-roommates. I could see if they still live there. Something like that. From what I read in the file, she is – against her training and upbringing – very attached to her so-called friends. So maybe that's a place to start." Victor finished. He had no intentions of going to Jam Pony and pretend to be a Transgenic. He had his own plan.

"They already know that we're looking for her. So it won't give away our plan to capture her if you fail. All we will lose is you – and I can certainly live with that. Go and do it. Report back by midnight." With that she backed up her chair and return to her quarters.

Safe House, New Westminster 

After their phone call, Max offered to clean the kitchen while Logan started a fire to warm up the cold house. He grabbed some blankets and pillows from the bed and arranged them on the couch just as Max re-entered the living room.

"Uhhh. That looks cozy." She sing songed and jumped over the couch to land on the blankets and pillows in front of the fire.

"Yeah. Plus it's warm. Hey. Maybe later we could make some S'mores." Logan suggested and carefully sat down next to her. He placed an ice bag on his healing knee, covered it with a blanket and opened his arms for Max to snuggle into.

"Mmmm. That's even more cozy. And if you ever tell any of my siblings that I said that, I'll deny it." Max said, threatening playfully.

"Well, in a few months they'll all be able to see, that you like it cozy sometimes." Logan teased back. "So when are you gonna tell them?" Logan asked more serious this time.

"I guess I have to tell them sooner or later. I just don't know how well they're gonna take it at Terminal City." Max answered.

"Come on Max. You're not the only X-5 that has had a baby. A baby with an ordinary even. Tinga, Jace. Don't worry what Zack or Alec or the ordinary hater Mole say. Deep down they might even envy you because after all the time you guys have lived in the real world, you are the only one who managed to have a somewhat normal life, with normal values and beliefs. Yeah. I mean your life is going to change. OUR life is going to change. But wasn't it about damn time we change our way of living? We walked around like two invincible superheroes with a death wish. That has to change and it will change." Logan said while staring her in the eyes.

"Tinga and Jace. Yeah. And where are they now? Tinga is dead and Jace could be anywhere by now. Still on the run. And Zack. The blue lady knows where he is. As for Alec and Mole and the rest of Terminal City, I couldn't care less if they say that this is a mistake. Because I know it isn't. It's just that things are going to change. And change fast. And I have almost no control over what happens or doesn't happen. And that sucks big time. It scares me. I just feel like running and leaving everything behind. Thing is: This I can't leave behind." Max said and gently placed a hand over her still flat stomach.

A few seconds later Logan's right hand joined her while his left hugged her closer. He placed a kiss on her temple and whispered: "You don't have to be scared Max. You're not alone. We're in this together."

Max smiled, snuggled even closer to him and closed her eyes. She listened to the fire in front of them, to Logan's steady breathing and how his hand felt on her stomach. Perfect.

**TerminalCity, Bar:**

"Well, well, well. If that isn't our lady killer." Mole said around his cigar.

"Cut it out Mole." Alec grunted and downed his whiskey in one gulp.

"Why Alec. Because the lady killer stuff is bullshit or because you're embarrassed? Are you gonna cry now?" One of the more normal looking X8s said.

"I said cut it out. All of you. So what? I didn't fuck that dirty, dumb hooker that night. It just didn't feel right. I never had to pay for sex. And I intend to get my kicks for free from now on. You can go and pay some good dollars for a girl who pretends she wants you, pretends she likes you, and who had probably 10 other guys inside of her that very same day who thought the same bullshit. But that is not what I want. And if you have a problem with that, then frankly I don't give a fuck. If that's your only chance to get some, please, by all means, go pay that hooker. I'd rather invest my money in a good whiskey and rely on my good looks and my irresistible charm." With that he finished his beer, saluted to the group and left the bar, satisfied with how it went. No one ever had to know what he really did that night. No one would ever find out about the real reason why he didn't hook up with the hooker.

The others just stared after him. When he was out of earshot they all looked down in their almost empty beer bottles and wondered how much beer they could buy if they didn't go to that hooker, no one daring to speak first. Then they contemplated if what Alec had said made a lot of sense or if he was just embarrassed and felt trapped. Whatever it was, it kept them thinking. Even Mole, who thought that when Alec said 'if that's your only chance to get some' he meant him especially, had to think about it. After all. The hooker was an ordinary. And god how he hated ordinaries.

_AN: There you go. An eventful chapter that answered a lot of questions I hope. Drop a review if you like and let me know what you think. Till next Thurstay._

_Lfbrox_


	22. Babysitting a dirtbag

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: And another Thursday update. Aren't you proud of me? I kept my word and finish the story with regular updates. Only a few more chapters and it's done. I hope you still enjoy it. Again not beta-read cause Sammi is still busy studying. Good luck and hopefully you're back soon. So on with the show. Here comes:_

**_Reposting_**

**_This time it is the beta-read version. Thanks to my wonderful beta Sammi, who came back from the dead to help me finish this story with style._**

****

**Chapter 21: Babysitting a dirtbag**

_The others just stared after him. When he was out of earshot they all looked down in their almost empty beer bottles and wondered how much beer they could buy if they didn't go to that hooker, no one daring to speak first. Then they contemplated if what Alec had said made a lot of sense or if he was just embarrassed and felt trapped. Whatever it was, it kept them thinking. Even Mole, who thought that when Alec said 'if that's your only chance to get some' he meant him especially, had to think about it. After all. The hooker was an ordinary. And god how he hated ordinaries._

**Seattle****, Original Cindy's crib:**

Instead of driving to Jam Pony, Victor drove straight to the address that was in 452's file. Her place before the Jam Pony hostage crisis. Her home, where she lived with her best friend and colleague Cynthia. The place where she lived her life as an ordinary girl, with an ordinary job and ordinary friends trying to make a living in this broken world before some multi-breed psycho bitch came to steal her firstborn to make a world of cold and heartless Renfro clones. _Sick. Just sick_. Victor thought as he parked his car and looked up to her apartment. The more he heard about the secret project, and the more he learned about Max, the sicker he got. True. He volunteered for this assignment. He wanted to see those freaks dead as much as anyone else on his special force. But now his view was different. How could he still believe that Manticore was the victim? How could he still think of himself of being on the right side of this insane war?

He was a soldier and as a soldier he swore to serve his country. To defend it and, if he had to, die for it. But wasn't that the same thing the transgenics were meant to do? And as soon as it got uncomfortable they twisted the truth and make the transgenics enemy number one. What kept Manticore from doing the same to those who were now responsible for hunting down transgenics and killing them in cold blood? Who said that it wasn't going to be him and his fellow soldiers they were going to hunt next?

Victor had no idea how to convince Max's friend to listen him. But he had to try. He may not have been the brightest horse in the race, but he knew that this was wrong. And he knew that if he didn't stop Renfro now it would get a lot worse. So he wasn't bright – but he was brave. He had to at least try. He opened the door of the building and walked up the stairs towards Max's old apartment.

**Inside Original Cindy's crib:**

"Tell my boo to chill out and relax. There ain't nothing she can do now anyways. Let her enjoy her lil' vacation with her squeeze. And tell her to call me whenever she gets a chance." Cindy said to Dix, who had called her to 'give her the 411 on the dealio with her boo' – O-tone Dix.

"Will do Cindy. Take care and come by and visit some time. Okay." Dix said.

"Sure thing suga. Gotta go. Got a visitor. Maybe Original Cindy's getting herself some fine new roommate." Cindy laughed and hung up the phone to get the door. After Max had told her that she would have to stay at Terminal City and if that whole thing was over she would maybe look for something together with Logan, OC had spread the word, that some fine lickety chick was welcome to stay and entertain her a little for small dough.

Some girls had already 'auditioned' as Cindy liked to call it, but some were too loud, some too lazy, some too homophobic. At the end Cindy had to admit to herself that the only thing that was wrong with them was that they were too not-Max, but Cindy was willing to give it another try.

But as she opened the door and saw this huge, beefy, white guy with a shaved head she was in a little bit of a shock.

"Suga, I have nothing 'gainst the three-legged gender. You gotta trust Original Cindy on that one. But before you say anything, I gotta tell you that this just ain't gonna work for her." She said with a polite smile and was just about to close the door when Victor spoke up.

"Excuse me. Cynthia? Hi. I'm a friend of Max's and need to talk to you about something." Victor said in a serious tone before Cindy could close the door.

Cindy opened the door just enough to look at him. She scanned him from head to toe and didn't really like what she saw. The only beefy-looking guys she remembered seeing with Max were those Red guys and those were definitely not Max's friends.

"I'm sorry. But I know all of my homegirl's friends. And Original Cindy never seen you in the mix. 'Sides, Max ain't here. Try Terminal City if you need to speak to her." Cindy said and started to close the door again.

"Okay, okay. I'm not one of her friends. As a matter of fact she'd call me her enemy if she were here. But luckily she isn't here and I'm here to tell you why it is important for her to stay where she is. I don't even want you to tell me where she is. In fact it's even better if I don't know. All I want from you is to hear me out. Please. I'm unarmed and I don't want to hurt you. If my boss knew that I was here to help Max I'd be dead. Please Cynthia." Victor pleaded through the now closed door. His voice was loud and deep enough for Original Cindy to hear through it.

After about a minute Victor saw the door slowly open again. Original Cindy stood there with a gun aimed at his head. "It's Original Cindy. Raise your hands over your head and step in slowly." She said in a voice that hid her nervousness. Victor did as he was told and entered the room with his hands high over his head. Of course if he wanted to overpower her he easily could, but that was not why he was here.

"Sit down in this chair and slowly bring your hands behind your back." Cindy ordered. Again Victor did as he was told and Cindy wasted no time tying his hands behind his back with one of her pairs of pink, fluffy covered handcuffs. Then she used two pairs of stockings to tie his legs to the chair. She checked his pockets for a weapon and, after finding nothing, she stepped back, picked up the gun again and eyed her work with satisfaction.

"Now. Who are you? Who sent you? What do you want? In that order." Cindy was really getting the hang out of this interrogation thing.

"My name is Victor. I'm commanding officer for a special force at Manticore. Our target is X5-452…ahm, Max. There were no negotiations planned. The plan was to capture her and kill the others. They all got away and since then we have been searching for them. I am in charge of the search efforts. Then I did some digging around trying to find out why the director of Manticore, or ex-director, Renfro, wants to capture Max so badly. I found out that there is a secret project going on, called 'Project Unicorn'. Basically they need the DNA of Max's first offspring to mix it with the DNA of Renfro's clones to create the perfect soldier: ruthless, heartless, cold, strong. Your ordinary super-human killing machine. I realized that I'm helping to create a world where military is not only dominant, but the only thing there. They want to breed a homogenous species that obeys whoever is in charge. Those who aren't strong enough, which pretty much means everybody who is considered as ordinary today, will have to die. I don't have physical proof of that, meaning documents or anything. I'm here so you can let Max know not to come back here for a while. At least not until this project has gone down. I need you to trust me. And if you don't, at least consider what I have just said. We are all in danger. But most of all Max and her baby." Victor rattled out. He wanted to get everything out, before he ended up with a bullet in his head.

Cindy heard him alright. Heard every single word. It sounded unreal. But then again, since Max had let her in on her secret, and after the Jam Pony and Terminal City crisis, it didn't sound too far fetched anymore. But there one thing in this whole story that bugged her. "What baby?"

"Apparently Max was in heat on her way to Canada. Well, how can I put it? We witnessed some action, which will leave her without a doubt pregnant. That's why director Renfro wants to find her so urgently. Abort the fetus she carries, because it's from an ordinary, and have her breed with a more genetically perfect DNA carrier. If Max comes back she will not only lose her baby, she will lose her life and the life of the baby's father." Victor said in a soft and calm voice.

"So my boo's pregnant? And Logan's the Dad. Damn." Cindy said.

"Yes. But did you hear the rest of the story. The clones, the super-soldier?" Victor asked, trying to get back to the reason for his visit.

"Original Cindy heard every single word. But what is it you want? I call her up and tell her about that Rino person wanting to clone her firstborn?" Cindy said, still shocked that Max was pregnant.

"Her name is Renfro. Trust me, Max knows her. She was thought to be dead. But thanks to her breeding and cloning, they were able to keep her alive somehow. Anyway. I want you to tell Max about it. Hear what she thinks. I don't have proof, but from what I've read in her file she is close to Eyes Only. Maybe he can dig something up. I can't without losing my head. Listen. I need to report back to director Renfro by midnight. You have 4 hours. Go speak with whomever you think. Go speak with Max if you can. Then come and untie me. We can make a plan on how to proceed further when you get back." Victor suggested sensing Cindy's hesitation.

"I'm not leaving you alone here suga. No offense. Your motives might be honorable. But maybe not." Cindy said and walked over to the phone.

"Knock, knock. Anybody home." Alec yelled and walked inside.

"Pretty-boy. Never thought I'd be glad to see ya. Listen. Take this gun and babysit this dirtbag. He's gonna give you the 411 of what's going on. I need to get to Terminal City. I'll be back in 2 hours. And don't do anything stupid or I'll put the smack down on your skinny white ass." Cindy said, grabbed her purse and left the apartment.

**TerminalCity Headquarters:**

"Aight peeps. That's the whole dealio. Whaddaya think?" Cindy asked after having told everybody Victor's story. There was a deadly silence, broken only by small gasps, 'damn's and some 'fuck's.

"So little sis is pregnant?" Syl asked and hugged Cindy.

"Yep boo. We're gonna be aunties." Cindy said and hugged her back.

"Could we get back to the reason why we're all worried out of our minds?" Jesse interrupted Syl and Cindy's happiness.

"Sure. Let's call the expecting parents and tell them how bad their life sucks. Dix, Luke. Try to find anything about this project unicorn thingy." Syl said and move to the phone.

Safe House, New Westminster 

"Renfro?" Was all that Max could say after hearing what Cindy had to say.

"Yeah, boo. I guess that was the name. Soooooooo? You're pregnant?" Cindy asked, not forgetting for a second where she was and who could hear them, but too happy for Max as not to ask her.

"Well. I thought I'd get to tell you that in person instead of a Manticore baddy, but yeah girl, we're having a baby." Max said while smiling at Logan.

"Okay. Congratulations. You two, or three, can deal with that later. What are we gonna do about that unicorn thing? Logan, can you hack into something over there?" Jesse asked clearly annoyed at how Cindy and Syl behaved.

"I don't have the equipment here to do that. But with the passwords I gave Dix and Luke they might be able to hack into the Manticore and NSA files. Maybe they find out something. Try to contact Matt Sung. See if he ever heard anything about it. Other than that, there's nothing we can do. But the question here is: do we trust that guy? The story sounds too crazy to not be true. And if we can trust the guy and the story is true, are Max and I still safe here? I guess there's no way out of the country right now. But we need to get somewhere safer. Where we could stay for a longer period of time." Logan said, clearly annoyed that he could not boot up his computer system and get to work right now.

"Hey. Funky idea. If we decide to trust this Manticore guy. How about he helps you over the border so you can maybe go further south?" Cindy suggested.

"Too risky. This could be a trap." Max fired back.

"Maybe not. Why would he come here and tell us all that if he's still on their side?" Cindy asked.

"Tactics. Strategy. I don't know. It's just too much of a risk." Max replied.

"Okay. Send this guy back to report in, just in case he is speaking the truth. Then we wait what information we can come up with. After that we can decide what to do." Logan said.

"Let's do that." Jesse agreed.

"Talk to you tomorrow?" Cindy asked.

"Yeah, we'll call you at around eight." Max said and cut the connection.

"Great. Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse." Max said as she sat down on Logan's good leg and hugged him.

"Don't worry. We've been through worse. We're gonna get through this." Logan said and hugged her back.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

"Hey boys. Had a nice evening?" Cindy sing-songed as she walked in her apartment.

"Very interesting to say the least." Alec said and followed Cindy into the kitchen. "So what do we think about this fantastic story?" Alec asked her in a low voice so Victor couldn't hear them.

"Well. It's Manticore, so everybody thinks it's plausible. We're still not sure if we can trust the guy, but we called Max and Logan and told them to lay low for a little longer. Dix and Luke will try to find something out about that unicorn project. Afterwards, we can decide if maybe Victor can help Max and Logan to cross the border. Until then we let him get back and report in. If he wanted to hurt me he would have done so earlier. So go and untie him." Cindy said and ushered Alec back into the living room.

"Okay Victor. Looks like I'm not gonna hurt you tonight." Alec said to a relieved Victor and started to undo the stockings. Then he stopped. "Uhm, Cindy. Do you have a key for these?" Alec asked, nodding his head to the fluffy handcuffs.

"Sure. Hang on I'll go get them." Cindy said and moved to her bedroom. The two guys she left behind just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. A considerably weird thing to do as Victor was still tied to the chair and Alec still pointed the gun at the other man's head.

"Got it." Cindy yelled and came out from behind her bedroom curtain to give Alec the key. Within seconds, Victor was untied and stood in front of Alec and Cindy.

"So you're just gonna let me go now?" Victor asked, a little unsure what to do next. There was a big possibility that there were a few transgenics out there either intent on capturing him and taking him to Terminal City, or just following him.

"Yeah. Go report back to your Renfro clown. If you get some news let us know. I bet you have the number." Cindy said a little uneasy with the fact that Manticore obviously had a file on her.

"How do we contact you?" Alec asked, because he was sure that was something Logan or Max would have asked.

"You don't. I contact you. Give me a day or two. I'll try to find out more about this. Okay?" Victor asked and slowly walked towards the door.

"You do that suga." Cindy said and walked him out.

"Oh, before I forget." Victor said and turned around before Cindy could close the door. "I need to report back something to director Renfro. I told her my plan was to go to that Jam Pony place and ask for a transport to Terminal City. It said in Max's file, that's how transgenics get into Terminal City. So I do need some info on that, so I can report something." Victor said, just now thinking that he needed to report back something.

"Just tell that director of yours, that there was that stuck up guy called Reagan Ronald aka Normal who bip, bip, bipped you out." Cindy said and closed the door, thinking that she had helped him enough.

Once on the other side of the door, Victor exhaled loudly. He was relieved. That went better than he thought. Maybe those transgenics weren't so freaky after all. He checked his watch. It was close to midnight already and he had to hurry to get back on time.

"That was strange." Cindy said after having closed the door and heard Victor walk away.

"Yeah. Babysitting a dirtbag wasn't on my to-do list for tonight either." Alec said and followed Cindy to the kitchen where he plopped down on one of the stools while Cindy started some coffee.

"Really? What was on your to do list? And why did you come here in the first place?" Cindy asked, realizing for the first time that it was Alec who was coming to her and not the other way around.

"Not much actually. I just needed to get out. Wanted to see if you're up for a game of pool and some beers at Crash." Alec said casually.

"Oh." Cindy said in surprise. That was strange. "Well, it's too late now anyway. Maybe tomorrow?" She offered, sensing that something was up with him when he chose her company instead of, well, anybody else's company.

"Sure. Why not? Hey, maybe I should stay here tonight. Just to make sure no other Manticore baddies are gonna pay a visit to Lady Cindy tonight." Alec said and took off his jacket to make his point.

"Ahhm, okay. Might be a good idea. I'd offer you Max's old bed, but even if she never sleeps in it again she would kick my ass for letting you sleep there. Is the couch okay?" Cindy asked, not admitting that she thought that it was a great idea for him to stay over.

"The couch is fine. I've had worse you know." Alec said, grabbing the coffee she handed him and moving to the couch.

Cindy took her cup and followed him to the couch. Something was clearly up. He never behaved that way. The so-called charm that unnerved her most of the time was absent. He looked serious and she had no idea what had changed his mood – if it was the trip to Canada or the situation tonight or maybe something totally different. And if there was one person in the world that got people to talk it was Original Cindy.

"What's up boo? You look deep in thought tonight. And, no offense, but Original Cindy don't get to see this very often from you." Cindy started the conversation carefully.

"Oh nothing. Been a long couple of days. That's all." Alec replied and stretched out on the couch.

"Don't try to sell Original Cindy that. She saw you at the Jam Pony hostage thingy. She saw you in Terminal City the first few days. Those days were long and stressful. Something else is eating at you suga. And Original Cindy's got a hunch it ain't got nothing to do with the Canada trip or Terminal City. Spill it Alec. What's nagging on ya?" OC asked him straight to the face, not in the mood for beating around the bush.

"I'm fine Cindy. Just tired." Alec said again clearly uncomfortable at her questions. He placed his cup on the couch table and closed his eyes.

Then it hit Original Cindy. It must be something personal, otherwise he would say what was up. Alec always had the uncontrollable, and to OC unbearable, urge to tell everybody everything. (Yep, he's a yapper). So if he was so reluctant to speak it must be something personal.

"Okay. This might be a little far fetched, but has it anything to do with that pimping thing Sketchy managed for ya? If so, spare Original Cindy the physical details. Don't wanna hear anything 'bout that. But if Sketchy fucked it up again lemme know and she'll hit him one over the head." Cindy said and could clearly imagine that it was all Sketchy's fault.

"No. Sketchy did not fuck it up. This time. It's nothing. Now would you let me sleep? It's late." Alec yelled.

"Whatever ya say. Lemme get you a blanket and a pillow." Cindy said and got up to get the stuff. She dropped the blanket and pillow on the couch and turned around to leave. Then she turned around again to look at him. "But we're gonna talk tomorrow. You can count on that."

"Whatever. And hey. Thanks. You know. For everything." Alec stuttered.

"Your welcome. Good night." Cindy said, turned off the light and went to bed.

Alec stretched out on the couch and wrapped the blanket around him. He really wanted to talk to someone. Maybe Cindy was the right person. After all, that was the reason he came here for in the first place.

Warehouse outside of Seattle 

Victor arrived shortly after midnight and quickly parked his car and walked inside. The plan he had in mind worked well. But the plan he told Renfro hasn't even been executed. So he might have a problem there. He was sure she would be waiting on the other side of the door for him wanting a full report of what went down. So he had to think. If only he had more time. More self confident than he really was in that moment, he opened the door and marched inside.

"So? What do you got?" Renfro asked not giving him the time to take his jacket off.

"Ma'am. The plan didn't work out. Apparently the place is not helping Terminal City anymore. There's too many sector cops and other military troops in that corner to try something like that. The boss of the place, a guy called Reagan Ronald or, like the messengers, call him 'Normal', told me to get out and there weren't anymore jobs. Ma'am. After I left the place I was followed by some sector cops. That's why I drove around Seattle for a while. I stopped by Max's old crib and wanted to talk to her former roommate, but she wasn't there. I'm sorry ma'am. But unfortunately I come back here empty handed." Victor finished his report. He tried to sound disappointed as well as honest and by the look on Renfro's face it looked like she bought the story.

"Okay." Renfro said after a while of thinking. "Check her roommate's place again tomorrow. If necessary beat out of her what she knows, then kill her. In the meantime coordinate the teams in Canada. I await your update in the morning." Renfro said, turned around and left for the night.

Victor finally took his jacket off and sat down on the chair, pretending to check the computer screen. _That was close. Let's see if I can find out more about the unicorn project._ Victor thought and turned around to get an update from the soldiers observing the various computers.

**TerminalCity Headquarters:**

"Wow. It's amazing how much easier that is once you've got the right passwords." Dix said as he quickly outsmarted all the obstacles, firewalls and password-protected areas of the NSA computer system.

"Yeah. That would have taken us ages. If we would have ever gotten that far." Luke said while helping Dix finding what they needed.

"Cindy said something about a former NSA and Manticore cooperation that is now considered dead. We should look in the older files." Dix said as he scrolled through the various folders and subfolders of the system.

"Guess we have a long night ahead of us." Luke said as Dix started to open one folder after the other.

_AN: There you go. Sorry not much Max and Logan in that one, but I promise more in the next chapter. As usual next Thursday. If you liked it drop a review. Thanks to all for reading._

_Lfbrox_


	23. With a little help from my foes

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Here we go again. Another Thursday another update. Thanks a lot for your reviews. I'm almost at 200 reviews and that is more than I could have wished for. Okay. Sometimes when life interferes and the muse is just nowhere to be found it sucks. But I enjoy writing this. And I'm having a lot of fun doing it. And I intent to do so. Even if nobody is reviewing. But of course I hope you do __J_

_So read and review and let me know what you like. I have finished writing this story, but it'll help me to write my next one if I know what you want. Greetings go to Sammi who is still crouched over her desk studying. Also idlehands452 for being a regular reviewer. And welcome to X-318. Glad you found your way to fan fiction. Hope you enjoy all the great Max and Logan story's here. There are treasures to find even though a lot of stories have been removed due to the abandonment of NC-17 stories._

_So enjoy everybody. Here it goes._

**_Reposting_**

**_This time it is the beta-read version. Thanks to my wonderful beta Sammi, who came back from the dead to help me finish this story with style._**

**Chapter 22: With a little help from my foes**

"Guess we have a long night ahead of us." Luke said as Dix started to open one folder after the other.

Safe House, New Westminster 

After their phone call to Terminal City Logan and Max didn't feel like going to bed. They lay on the couch in the living room. The fire was burning in front of them and they cuddled. But the atmosphere was far from romantic. Or even the atmosphere of two lovers and expectant parents. They both were in their own world.

Logan felt helpless. And for the first time since the shooting it wasn't because he couldn't use his legs. He felt helpless cause there was nothing he could do to help. In Terminal City he would pull a couple of all nighters hacking in systems, analyzing files, making plans and strategizing with the others. But now all he could do was wait. Wait not only until he regained his mobility but also wait until someone called and told him what to do next. He wasn't used to this. He was itching to do something but all he could do was wait. Not his strong suit.

Max felt numb. Felt used. And for the first time since her escape from Manticore the problem couldn't be fixed with kicking some ass and escape and evade. They, no, _Renfro_ wanted specifically her. And not exactly her. It wasn't because of the person she is or was. It wasn't because of the life she lived or the person she had become. Renfro solely wanted her because of her DNA. Wanted her because of her baby. Wanted to take her baby and kill her and take whatever she wanted from her dead body. She knew that she couldn't change that fact. But she wished she could take a group of people, go to that Renfro bitch and take her lights out once and for all. That's what she would have done if she was in Terminal City. But not here. She was itching to do something but all she could do was wait. Not her strong suit.

**TerminalCity****, Headquarters:**

Jesse came bouncing up the stairs to the command center where Dix and Luke hacked away on their computers. When they heard him come up they stopped, grateful for a break, and looked at him expectantly.

"So?" Dix and Luke asked in unison waiting for Jesse's report.

"I followed Victor. He drove to a warehouse just outside of the city boundaries. No windows, so I couldn't look inside. But it's not protected from the outside. Guess they don't expect anybody to be suspicious that a simple warehouse could hold the 'Project unicorn' command center. As far as I can tell there's no facility to hold the lab and do the cloning. I don't know if Renfro is really in the building either. But it looked as if Victor told the truth. He even seemed a little nervous going in." Jesse reported and looked over Dix's shoulder to scan the file he had pulled up.

"Still, I think we need a little bit more proof than that before we give him Max's and Logan's location in Canada so he can help them escape. Plus first we need to find a place for them to go. They can't come back here for a while." Dix said to Jesse and Luke.

"Well they can never come back here unless we find a way to stop that Renfro bitch from going after Max. And her baby. So you guys better go back to work. I'm gonna bunk down. It's almost morning and I'm dead to the world. Night guys." Jesse said with a grin and left the two 'nomlies' to work on the files.

Safe House, New Westminster 

"We really should go to bed Max. It's almost morning." Logan said. They had spent the night on the couch but Neither of them had slept a lot. Once in a while one of them would doze off, but sleep wouldn't come.

"I guess so." Max replied without making an attempt to move from her comfortable spot cuddled up to Logan.

"Okay. Let's." Logan said he didn't move an inch either.

"What were you thinking about all night?" Max asked Logan. They had spent all night on the couch awake, but nobody spoke a single word in the whole time. Max thought that they might never get any sleep if they didn't talk about what had kept their minds busy all night.

"A lot of things." Logan started and hugged Max a little tighter. After a long pause he continued. "It might sound a little stupid, being a pathetic workaholic and all. But I felt a little helpless tonight. There is this enemy. Maybe the greatest enemy we have ever faced together. But there is nothing I can do to help. And I know that I could do a hell of a lot to help if we weren't stuck here. Don't get me wrong, if I ever wanted to be stuck somewhere then I want it to be with you. But it just drives me crazy that things are out of our control. Things could go sideways and we wouldn't even know it. We simply wouldn't know. And there would be nothing I could do to protect you and our baby. I told you it's stupid. Maybe it's my male ego." Logan finished, a little embarrassed that something like that kept him up all night when Max had even more problems.

"It's not stupid Logan. Don't you think I'm not going fucking crazy here not able to do anything? My credo always was 'I make it up as I go along'. And look at me now. I don't need to make anything up because I'm not moving along. If I was at home in Seattle then I would have already had a task force ready to kick some Renfro ass. But now I'm here and waiting. And I hate it. I want to do something. I want to move." Max sat up on the couch and looked at Logan.

"I hear you. I can't wait to do something. Anything. So what do we do?" Logan said and sat up himself. Max helped him to carefully move his legs from the couch.

"I don't know. What can we do?" Max asked enthusiastically. She was thrilled that Logan felt the same itch as she did, but had no idea what they could do.

"Let's call Terminal City." Logan proposed and Max jumped up without saying a word and ran towards the computer room.

"You really are eager to do something." Logan said and grabbed his walker to follow Max.

**Cindy's Crib:**

Cindy turned off her annoyingly loud alarm and tumbled out of her room still half asleep. She walked straight towards the bathroom to get ready for work when she smelled something delicious. Coffee. She made a quick turn and found herself in her kitchen where Alec had prepared some breakfast.

"Alec." Cindy said in surprise. "I didn't think I'd see ya here this morning." Cindy mumbled sleepily.

"Here have some coffee." Alec said grinning and handing her a cup of coffee. "You must really be tired if you're speaking of yourself in the first person."

Cindy took the cup and started to drink, too much in need of caffeine than to argue with Alec about his last comment. "So how you feeling this morning?" Cindy asked him after downing half a cup of the important liquid.

"I gotta say that I feel much better now. Slept like a baby." Alec said, poured himself some coffee and sat down on a stool next to Cindy.

"Good. So are we still on for tonight? Crash, pool and lots of beer?" Cindy inquired.

"Wouldn't miss it in the world. I gotta go. I'll pick you up at 8." Alec said and left before Cindy woke up completely and started to ask more uncomfortable questions.

**TerminalCity**** Headquarters:**

"We haven't found anything in the files yet. There are just too many. But Jesse followed that Victor guy to his headquarters last night. Looks like the guy is really nervous about all this from what Jesse said. Don't know if we can trust him though." Dix explained what little news he got to Max and Logan.

"As soon as we know that we can trust him we can get things moving." Logan thought out loud.

"So we should get some proof." Max continued.

"Yeah. But what kind of proof?" Dix asked.

"First of all I think we should give him some information that only we have and see what he makes of it. Then he should give us something to show that we can trust him." Logan answered.

"Like what?" Luke asked.

"Let us think about it and we'll get back to you later." Logan answered and cut the connection.

"If you're not too tired Max, then we have some plans to come up with." Logan said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll make some coffee." Max said with a wide smile, happy that she finally could do something.

Warehouse outside of Seattle 

The day had gone by slowly. Victor was busy coordinating the search-teams and observing the progress they were making. Which was next to nothing. Three times he had already reported to director Renfro that no progress had been made and he knew she was growing impatient. He had to give her something. But he could not fake any sightings. He could not manipulate the teams for they were loyal beyond common sense.

But he knew he had a mission tonight. Find the roommate and get all the info he could. Torture her if need be. Kill her in the best case scenario. As bad as that sounded – at least he could get out of this place tonight. Anything else he would figure out later. All he needed to do was keep Renfro happy for now.

"Are you ready?" Renfro asked from behind him. Victor jumped a little, startled by her sudden presence.

"Yes ma'am. Moving out in a minute. Any last orders before I leave?" Victor replied.

"Just bring me 452's location. If you can't do that I expect the dead body of the roommate." Renfro rasped and moved back to her chambers.

_Great.__ As if it couldn't get any more complicated. Now I have to bring a dead body with me. _Victor thought and got ready for his next visit with Original Cindy.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

"You ready to go?" Alec asked entering Cindy's place without bothering to knock.

"Yep. Let's have some fun." Cindy said and grabbed her purse.

"Ahm. Cindy. You sure you wanna wear that? We're taking my motorcycle." Alec said after taking in Cindy's outfit, which consisted of a tight, short skirt and an even skimpier top.

"Motorcycle? Aight. Original Cindy is gonna put on some pants but you don't even try puttin' a helmet on that girl." Cindy said with just the right amount of attitude and went back to her room to change.

Alec frowned and walked over to the fridge in desperate need for some alcohol. He came up empty handed and sat down on a bar stool waiting impatiently for Cindy.

After only 15 minutes Cindy came back from her room. She looked at Alec sitting on the stool and was just about to say something when the front door opened.

"Great. You plannin' on spoiling each and every fun night Original Cindy has planned?" Cindy said in annoyance.

"I told you I'd be back. But this time we have a serious problem." Victor answered and stepped inside the apartment.

"Oh great. What would be a night without a Manticore goon?" Alec said and joined OC and Victor by the door.

"Sorry for that. But after I reported last night's mission as a failure, Renfro insisted that I dig a little deeper with 452's roommate." Victor explained.

"What's the serious problem suga?" Cindy asked.

"Renfro wants me to come back with the location of the escapees. And if I don't - then I need to bring your dead body." Victor said looking directly at Cindy.

"So either I give up my best boo's hiding place or my life?" Cindy asked incredulous.

"That about covers it." Victor replied.

"Guess our night out has to wait. Let's get him to Terminal City." Alec said and reached for his jacket.

"Is that wise?" Cindy interjected.

"We can't handle this on our own here Cindy. Let's go." Alec said and the three of them left for Terminal City.

**TerminalCity**** Headquarters:**

"What do you think?" Alec asked Logan and Max. Victor had informed them as well as he could and was now waiting next door for a decision.

"I think that we have to move quickly now. We can't wait for any proof. I have the feeling that we can trust him. So we should get going right away." Logan said, nervous that they couldn't check out Victor's reliability, but also trusting him in a weird kind of way.

"What do you suggest?" Dix asked.

"I'm not completely sure." Max started but was interrupted by Original Cindy.

"You ain't sure boo? You better be cause Original Cindy's fine ass is on the line." Cindy interjected from the back.

"Cool it boo. We have a plan." Max calmed Cindy down then addressed to the others. "Renfro wants our location? So we give it to her. We leave enough stuff behind to proof that we've been there. Unfortunately for her we won't be there when her troops arrive. And that's where Victor comes in. We could make it to the airport in less than 30 minutes. Question is can we board a plane and get out safely?" Max explained the plan.

"Let's ask our guest." Mole said while lighting a new cigar and walking over to get Victor.

After only two minutes Mole dragged Victor up the stairs to the command center. He plopped him down on a chair and motioned with his head towards the speaker phone.

"What do you need me to do?" Victor said. He was slightly uncomfortable sitting amongst the transgenics, but he figured it was only because of the somewhat un-human looking ones.

"Can you arrange a plane to get us out of the country – invisible to radar?" Logan asked him slightly nervous.

"No. Not invisible to radar. But if you give me about 24 hours I could arrange that the airport is not under 24-hour surveillance anymore and you can take a charter flight to Mexico." Victor offered. That was about all he could think of doing since he was in charge of coordinating the search efforts.

"How safe would that be? And what are you gonna tell Renfro?" Max wanted to know.

"As long as Renfro doesn't suspect anything it will be as safe as it can be. Better pack up and be ready to leave any second. Meanwhile I will call Renfro tonight and let her know that Original Cindy is not really cooperative and that it takes some more time to get it out of her. We use that time to make all arrangements. By the time I come back and give Renfro your location you should already be on your way." Victor planned out loud. "Does that make sense?" He asked after re-thinking what he said.

"Perfect sense. So here's the plan." Max answered, feeling back in her element. "Tonight you call Renfro telling her you need some more time with OC. Tell her that Cindy won't give you the exact location but you already have a slight indication on where we might be. Then you call your command center asking for an update on the search telling them what Cindy told you so far. Redirect the search efforts to the false direction Cindy gave you. Me and Logan go to the airport and check in as normal passengers with our faked ID's. As soon as the plane has left you report that you have the exact location and send as much troops there as possible."

"Sounds like a plan. Now all I need to know is you real location in order to get you out." Victor said matter-of-factly. They seemed to trust him. Now it was the time to prove it.

_AN: Alrighty guys. I know it wasn't exactly long. But only a few more chapters left. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you review. Till next Thursday._

_Lfbrox_


	24. Jack Daniels and Confessions

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Here we go again. Another Thursday. Another update. You may have noticed that I reposted the last 4 chapters (19-22) – this time beta-read by my wonderful and trusted friend Sammi. I'm glad you're back so we can finish this together. Thanks for working as fast as you did. You rock._

_Thanks also go out to all the people that still read the story – reviewing or not. I hope you enjoy it. We're almost at the end, so I decided to give you a little sappier chapter to satisfy all the M/L shippers. Hope you like it. Here it goes:_

**Chapter 23: Jack Daniels and Confessions**

_"Sounds like a plan. Now all I need to know is you real location in order to get you out." Victor said matter of factly. They seemed to trust him. Now it was the time to proof it._

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

"Make the call to your command center first. Ask for an update on the search efforts. Then ask for Renfro. Tell her that you have the roommate and are trying to get the details out of her and as soon as you know anything you'll get back to her. Don't give her anything just yet. Then we will see about revealing our location." Max ordered over the phone, hoping to shed the least bit of doubt she had about trusting that guy.

"I will do that. But I can't make the call from here. If Renfro suspects that I'm betraying her she will trace the call. Even if she doesn't suspect anything I'm sure she will trace the call." Victor explained.

"Sounds like Renfro. She wouldn't trust herself if there weren't so many morons blowing sugar up her ass and assuring her that there's nothing wrong with her." Max snorted over the phone and couldn't believe that Victor actually laughed.

"So what are you gonna do suga?" Cindy addressed Victor. "Cause if you haven't caught the drift this phone call is a way of proving that you're not one of them goons." Cindy stated giving Victor a hard look.

"Yeah. I kinda caught that drift. I say we go back to your place and have somebody listen in. You can all decide then if you can trust me." Victor proposed.

"I guess that's the only safe way." Max said over the phone. "Syl. I want you to go along."

"No prob sis." Syl said and put her jacket on.

"Hey. Why do you want to send Syl? I'm going back to the apartment anyway. I can do it." Alec almost whined.

"No offense Alec, I'm sure one dog can identify another dog. But I think we should trust in Syl and Cindy's female intuition." Max replied dryly. Alec wanted to reply something, but Cindy raised her right hand to mimick a smack-down, and that shut him right up.

"Fine. But I'm coming along too." Alec said, grabbed Victor and walked with him towards the exit.

"Okay boo. We're going. I'll call Dix after the call so he can let you two know how it went." Cindy said and motioned for Syl to leave.

"Okay, thank you. And boo. Be careful." Max said, her voice full of concern for her best friend who had been dragged into this messed-up situation.

"No worries suga. You take care of yourself and your man and especially my little niece or nephew." Cindy said and waved her goodbye to the rest of the guys and left with Syl.

"Okay guys. You just stay put. We'll call you back in a little bit." Dix said and cut the connection.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

"Stop shhh-ing me girls. He's not even on the phone yet." Alec complained to Cindy and Syl who silenced him every time he attempted to say something.

"Just making sure that you know your part in this." Cindy said over her shoulder while making coffee.

"So you ready to make that call?" Syl asked and stepped closer to Victor who stood uneasy in the middle of the room.

"Give me a second." Victor said and took a deep breath, then took the phone out of his pocket.

"Cindy step closer to Victor so you'll be able to hear the other side of the conversation. My hearing is good enough to follow the both sides from here." Syl said, sensing that Victor needed a little room for himself when he made that call.

"Okay. Here it goes." Victor said, took another deep breath and started to dial, hoping his voice would come through confident, cold and in control.

"Thomas." Came the quick and military reply.

"Victor. Give me an update." Victor ordered.

"Sir. No progress. Vancouver airport under constant surveillance. So are the borders. As ordered the search radius was expanded, but came up empty. Sir." Thomas reported the same to Victor as he had reported to Renfro who came out more frequently to see what progress they were making.

"Keep up the search. Do not spread the radius any further. I come back with substantial information. Now get me Director Renfro on the phone." Victor demanded and exchanged looks with Cindy and Syl to see if they could hear everything all right. At their quick nods he turned his attention back to the conversation that was to come.

"Renfro here. Report." Was all she rasped and Cindy had a hard time not verbally expressing the shiver that ran down her spine upon hearing her voice for the first time.

"Director Renfro, ma'am. I'm here at 452's old apartment with her roommate. She's not very cooperative but she seems to know about the whereabouts of 452. Request permission to interrogate further, ma'am." Victor finished, his voice steady.

"Don't go easy on her. Kill her if necessary but get out of her what she knows first. I will give you 6 hours. She better be dead or singing like a bird then. The same goes for you. I guess you understand me." Renfro said in that ice cold voice of hers. She was clearly annoyed at the speed of the search efforts and wasn't willing to wait any longer.

"Yes ma'am. 6 hours." Victor repeated before Renfro cut the connection.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

Renfro put down the phone. That wasn't what she had had in mind. Maybe she should have sent someone with Victor just to make sure he didn't screw up. She had told him a lot more than he should have known. If she believed in anything but herself and her cause she'd be praying to god that she hadn't made a mistake letting him in on the secret project.

But the self-doubt left as soon as it had come and she rolled out of her office. All heads turned and everybody stood at attention immediately.

"Trace that call." Renfro rasped and two soldiers barked a quick "Yes ma'am" and practically ran to do as they were told.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

Victor turned off his phone and walked over to the couch where he plopped down. That was harder than he thought. Renfro had given him 6 hours. That wasn't a lot of time. They would have to move extremely quickly now. He didn't feel like saying anything and looked expectantly at Syl and Cindy, waiting for their verdict about his trustworthiness.

"I'll call Dix. He needs to let Max and Logan know to get ready to move soon." Syl said, grabbing the phone and moving into the hallway to talk to Terminal City.

Alec busied himself in the kitchen pouring himself some coffee and biting his tongue to not comment on anything.

"Suga. That sure didn't give away much new info. But Original Cindy has the feeling that you're straight up. She'll give you the benefit of da doubt 'n trust ya." Cindy said, sitting down next to him.

"Thanks. But we need to move quickly now. What's the plan?" Victor asked and for the first time since arriving here he also addressed Alec.

Alec was just about to give one of his earlier suppressed remarks when Syl walked back inside and started to talk even before she made sure that she had everybody's attention.

"Dix and I spoke with Max and Logan. They are gonna pack up their stuff right now and leave enough behind to prove that they have been there. They're gonna head to the closest airport once they get the okay from you." Syl explained, addressing Victor who listened intently. "They stayed at a Motel earlier and that's where you will send the search teams. It was a crappy Motel, so they didn't need to register with their names. Your guy's will have enough to do to search every Motel there. While they do that Max and Logan can head to the airport and board a plane that will take them to a Canadian airport that has direct flights to Mexico. They will travel with an alias and have enough money and faked passports to make it there provided your guys do not have that airport under surveillance." Syl continued, unsure whether to give away the exact locations just yet – even though she had the okay from both, Max and Logan.

"That's great. But I do need the exact locations." Victor said, hoping he didn't sound too eager to find out where Max and Logan were.

"Okay. But I swear. If this is a trap I'm going to find you and kill you. Are we clear?" Syl said in a serious tone.

"Crystal." Victor replied, hoping Syl had enough confidence in him than Cindy apparently had.

"Okay. They stayed at a Motel in Queensborough. Then they moved on to a safe house in the woods near New Westminster. Once you have directed the search parties further east they'll head to the New Westminster airport, where they will fly to Vancouver. From Vancouver they will fly straight to Mexico. That's all you need to know." Syl informed him, still having a bad feeling about telling someone from Manticore where her sister was.

"What then?" Victor asked not quite satisfied with what he heard.

"Well after your guys find the Motel and the room, they won't find them. But Logan is making sure that they will find some clue of where they were headed. So while your guys head over to the safe house in New Westminster, Max and Logan will already be boarding their plane towards Mexico. Comprende?"

"Okay. So how long will it take for Logan to place his clues there? We shouldn't wait for out 6 hour limit to run out. We should move as fast as possible." Victor asked, already forming a plan on how and where to send the search teams.

"Logan said he needs about two or three hours to set everything up. So I would say it's safe to say that you can alert your troops in about 4 hours. That way they will already be on their way to Vancouver and don't have a chance to run into one of your search teams." Syl told him, pouring herself some coffee.

"That settled." Alec said, speaking for the first time since arriving. "We have 4 hours. Anybody else need a drink? How about we hit Crash for a few hours?" He suggested.

Instead of an answer he just received looks of disbelief from the other three. "Okay, okay. Maybe not such a good idea. But I need a drink. I'll be back in a few." With that said he grabbed his jacket and left the apartment while the others just stared after him in disbelief.

"Well, now that it's quiet in here I might as well catch some sleep. Wake me in 3 hours." Cindy said and left to her room, clearly spent from the events of the last two days.

**Safe House, ****New Westminster**

"I'm done. What about you?" Max said as she walked in the computer room where Logan was hacking away.

"You're already done?" Logan asked finally looking up from the screen.

"We don't exactly have a lot of luggage. I packed a bunch of blankets and other useless stuff in our bags to fill them." Max said, sitting down next to Logan.

"Yeah, well. We should at least look like we're going on vacation." He said and moved his attention back to his computer screen. "I have made reservations for Mr. Jack Mellencamp and Diane Couger. We can board in about 2 ½ hours at New Westminster airport to Vancouver. Takes about an hour. We have an hour in Vancouver and at 6:25 am we're boarding a plane to Mexico. How's that?" Logan said, putting the final touches to the reservation.

"Sounds good to me. But why the two identities? Aren't we traveling as a couple?" Max asked, inching a little closer to take a look at the faked ID's he was producing on the computer.

"Yeah well. I thought it would be safer to travel as individuals. They might be looking out for a couple. We don't know if they have already found out that the others are back at Terminal City. But don't worry. We will reunite in Mexico." Logan explained, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Fine. But for the record: I don't like it. How will you be able to move around? It'll be easier if I help you." Max weakly protested, knowing that he was right.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. I have my walker." Logan answered, trying to lighten her mood.

"Funny. So how about the 'Last-Stop-Inn'? How are we gonna make sure they know where to find us?" Max asked accepting that they had to travel as strangers.

"The guy who set up this safe house is an Eyes Only informant. He lives in New Westminster. I called him earlier. He's driving down to the Motel to leave something behind. I don't know what, I just told him that it had to be a subtle clue. They will be able to figure it out. He has to pass by the main road not far from here on his way out and I asked him to drop off a bag of clothes and other stuff so we can change our appearance. Then we need to make the pictures for our ID and we're good to go." Logan said and turned around to face her.

"Someone ever told you that you are amazing Logan?" Max said with honest admiration for the man sitting in front of her.

"No. But it's good to hear." Logan replied leaning in to kiss her. But Max pulled back only a moment into the kiss.

"I'm serious Logan. You are amazing. Look at all you did in a single hour. I always thought that I might be the cause if you get hurt someday. I always thought that you would be better off without me to put you in any more danger than you were already in as Eyes Only. I always felt like I had to leave you to keep you safe. Or protect you so my miserable, screwed up life wouldn't kill you. And quite recently I began to wonder if us having a baby would make everything worse. That I would have to protect you and our baby." Max said, tears welling up in her eyes. Logan just took her hands in his and squeezed reassuringly, wanting her to finish her thoughts.

"Call me emotional right now, but I have the feeling that you have protected me more over the last couple of years than I ever had to protect you. You protected me from Lydecker, the Red's, White, and now Renfro. But most of all you protected me from myself. If it weren't for you I would have ended up in a cage a long time ago. Or dead. Probably both. I've just been too selfish to realize that. I was always too concerned about me and my family to fully register what part you played in that. It might sound absolutely cheesy and completely unlike me, but without you I would be lost. I need you, and our baby needs you. And I feel bad that I've only just realized it just now, but I know for sure that with you in our life we don't have to be afraid anymore. I never imagined that I would or could be a mother. But with you I somehow have the feeling that everything will be alright." Max finished, out of breath and out of energy to speak any further.

Logan pulled her onto his knee and hugged her tightly, touched by her speech and relieved that she wasn't fighting it anymore. He wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead softly. He moved his hand from her cheeks to her chin and lifted her head softly so he could look into her eyes.

"Everything will be alright Max. I will protect you and our child with everything I have. I love you and I love our baby. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of you two. Or three, or four." Logan added, and was happy to see Max smile again. "But don't you think for one second that I don't need you as much. You saved my ass a bunch of times from being killed by some corrupt politician or other scam. You also gave me a reason to live when I didn't see any more sense in my life. It was you that kept me from pulling the trigger so long ago. You gave me back my life. You gave me the strength back to start Eyes Only again after the accident, because I finally had a reason to make this world a better place. Make this world worth living in. Make this life worth living for. And I won't let anyone or anything take this away from me. Away from us. I feel like I just started living my life. I'm finally happy. And that's because of you." He stared into Max's teary eyes, then dropped his gaze and gently touched her still flat belly. "And because of you."

He looked back up into Max's eyes and saw new tears running down her face. He moved his hand from her belly to wipe off the tears, when Max's hands stopped him. Instead she closed the distance between them and kissed away the tears that – unnoticed by Logan – ran down his cheeks.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

Alec tumbled in, drunk as hell. He still had the bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and tried to close the door without waking the whole place. A looked around quickly to see Victor on the couch and Syl, who had pulled Max's mattress to the front door, fast asleep. He didn't feel like sleeping. Instead he moved to where Cindy was sleeping. He slipped through the curtain of her 'bedroom' and sat down on the floor in front of her bed and took another drink from his bottle.

He sat there for a minute or two, looking at nothing in particular. Then he decided that he was bored. He placed the bottle of Whiskey within arm's reach and poked at Cindy's shoulder trying to wake her up.

"Original Cindy's up." She yelped and sat upright in an instant. She figured it was Syl waking her to tell her that it was time for the infamous phone call. But all she found was a very drunk Alec crouched next to her bed smelling like a whiskey distillery.

"Damn boy. Whatcha been doing to ya self?" Cindy asked in shock, taking in his appearance.

"I went back to Terminal City." Alec slurred. "Had a little stash of my good friend Jack there. Wanne sip?" He asked holding up the bottle.

"No. Thanks boo. And I don't think you should have anymore yourself." Cindy said taking the bottle from him.

"Why? Don't I have all the reason to celebrate? Max and Logan are having a baby. Whooohooo. Now isn't that great? He's the black sheep of his family aka Seattle's big hero. Yeahhhh. The great Eyes Only. And Max. A genetically engineered killing machine. Unable to be a regular girl. Well what do you know? Starting a family and all that jazz. Lemme tell ya something Cindy. That's buuuulshit. Like I said to Max. We don't belong to them. We are different. That can't work. It just can't work. Take my word for it sista. Us transgenics weren't made to love. Love sucks. It stinks. It just can't work. We weren't meant to be like that. I used to feel like Logan feels right now – but I tell ya. It won't do any good." Alec slurred and grabbed the bottle back from Cindy's grasp and took another sip.

"Damn." Cindy said eying Alec with shock. "But I don't think you know how Logan feels about Max and I don't think…" Cindy said but was interrupted when Alec suddenly jumped to his feet, grabbed something out of his pocket and plopped down on her bed.

"Nooooooo. I do know how Logan feels. I know exactly how Logan feels. Here." Alec said and tossed Logan's poetry book in Cindy's general direction. Cindy caught it and took a minute to flip through the pages until she realized what it was.

"Where did ya get that boo?" Cindy asked surprised.

"Found it at Logan's penthouse the night I was there – hooking up with the hooker." Alec explained and cracked up laughing at his own joke.

Something dawned on Cindy. She had heard about his non-performance that night from Mole. Now it made sense. "Suga. Tell me about the girl." Cindy said, sensing that it must be a girl from Alec's past if he got so – well, the way he was right now.

"It wasn't just a girl Cindy." Alec babbled and lay down on the bed with Cindy staring down at him. "It wasn't just a girl." Alec repeated and closed his eyes. For a moment he was busy enjoying himself as his head spun. "Her name is Rachel. Was Rachel. She was my assignment. No her dad was. But we fell in love. Damn. I never felt like that ever before when I was around her. I tried to help her, but in the end she died. Died from the explosives I put on her car. Yeah. Rachel. She was the one. But I knew it was wrong. Knew we couldn't, we shouldn't be together. I was right. We just don't mix. We just don't." Alec trailed off, falling asleep in Cindy's bed.

Cindy watched him for a minute and pulled the covers over him. Then she lay back down to grab a couple of minutes of sleep before Syl would wake her. But she couldn't sleep. She couldn't forget what Alec had told her. Could understand the pain and loneliness he felt. She had experienced the same with Diamond. It was hard to loose somebody you love. But people dealt differently with such a loss. And Alec seemed to have dealt with it by closing his heart to emotions. Denying himself to let anybody close. Even though she couldn't sleep she closed her eyes. Feeling sorry for the man snoring next to her.

_AN: There you go. What do you think? Now that you reached the end of this document, why not hit the little review button and give me your opinion. Thanks already. Till next Thursday._

_Lfbrox_


	25. Lets

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Dear readers. Sorry for the late update. Totally spaced to send the chapter to my beta on time expecting her to drop everything and go to work. Damn. I'm so self-centered that I forget that other people have lives too. They do, right? So thanks to my wonderful beta Sammi who helps me out even though I send the stuff like a day before I am supposed to post it._

_Plus decided to go down the day I was finally able to post it. But now it's back up and hopefully will be for the next few days._

_Hope you're still with me. It's hideous how long it's been since I started this story. Guess I will make a habit out of finishing to write something and only then start posting so I can update frequently. Also thanks to all the readers and reviewers. I promise to finish this soon. So here it goes:_

**Chapter 24: Let's**

_It was hard to lose somebody you love. But people deal differently with such a loss. And Alec seemed to have dealt with it by closing his heart to emotions. Denying himself to let anybody close. Even though she couldn't sleep she closed her eyes. Feeling sorry for the man snoring next to her._

**Safe House, ****New Westminster**

While Max went to pick up the bag Logan's informant had dropped by the side of the main road, Logan got the camera ready to take their pictures for their new ID's. He wondered briefly if he should have specified what kind of clue to drop in the hotel room, but dismissed the thought quickly, deciding that sometimes one has to rely on other people.

He grabbed his walker and made his way over to the fridge to get a new ice bag. He checked his knee and noticed with satisfaction that the swelling and bruising was almost gone. He still couldn't put much weight on the leg, but he was able to move around more freely than before. He secured the ice bag on his knee and moved to the bathroom. He hadn't shaved since they left Terminal City and the beard covered almost all of his handsome features. Other than a bottle of shampoo they had no styling products, so he couldn't even spike up his hair the way he used to do – the way he knew Max loved it. Some new clothes and he was good to go. _Max needs to change her appearance a little more._ Logan thought with a smile as he heard Max come in.

"Logan?" She said, dropping the bag and taking her jacket off.

"Coming." Logan replied and started to walk over to the living room to see what the informant had dropped off.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

Syl opened her eyes and checked her watch. _3 am__. Time to get moving,_ she thought and sat up on the mattress she had dragged to the front door. She put her shoes on and checked to see if Victor was still in the apartment. Satisfied to see him fast asleep on the couch, Syl walked over to the kitchen to get some coffee started. She knew that Original Cindy wasn't exactly a morning person and didn't want to deal with her grouchiness. A strong coffee should help.

She waited in the kitchen until the coffee was done and poured herself a cup. She hoped the aroma of fresh coffee would wake the others up, but no such luck. First Syl walked over to the couch and none too gently shook Victor awake.

"Coffee is in the kitchen." She said to him and turned to Original Cindy's room without waiting for a reply.

"Rise and sh…shit. What's going on here?" Syl yelped as she pulled the curtain to the side to see Alec and Cindy snuggled up in bed.

Cindy was the first to move. She felt two strong arms wrapped around her midsection and instinctively wiggled closer to the source of the warmth – still not yet fully awake. Alec didn't move just kept on snoring and hugging Cindy closely.

Syl stood in front of them with her mouth hanging open. _Never woulda seen that one coming. I wish I had a camera._ Syl thought with a grin after recovering from the initial shock. But as much as she would have loved to stay and watch, or search the apartment for a camera, Syl knew they had a job to do and needed to get started.

"Cindy. Oh Cindy." Syl sing-songed trying to wake OC up.

This time Cindy slowly opened her eyes and looked in the direction of Syl's voice. She blinked a couple of times before Syl came into focus. Then her eyes widened as she became aware of the arms that held her tight from behind her and the obviously _male_ snoring. Within a second she had jumped up and now stood next to Syl in front of the bed, staring in shock at Alec who still lay there fast asleep.

"What the hell?" Cindy said as she saw the rumpled bed sheets and the empty bottle of Jack Daniels that lay on the floor. Then the events of only a few hours ago came back to her and she visibly relaxed. _There ain't enough Jack Daniels in the world for Original Cindy to share a bed with a man – at least not in the biblical way. _Cindy thought and turned to Syl, who looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Pretty boy needed some advice from Original Cindy last night." She said to Syl as she walked to the kitchen to pour herself some coffee. "Too bad he probly can't remember a thang. Boy was drunk as a skunk." She explained while taking a sip from her mug.

"What's his problem?" Syl asked, amused at Cindy's discomfort.

"Oh nothing that Original Cindy can't fix." Cindy replied sensing that Alec wouldn't want everybody to know how he felt. "So. Did you wake up Mr. Beefhead?" Cindy asked, changing the subject.

"Yep. Let me call Max and Logan and see if they are ready to go. Then Victor can make his call to Renfro sending her to the Queensborough motel." Syl said, then grabbed the phone and disappeared to the hallway to call them.

**Safe House, ****New Westminster**

"Come on Max. It's not that bad." Logan assured Max for the fifth time.

"Blond Logan. I'm blond. I hate blond." Max said and adjusted the blond wig again.

"You can take it off as soon as we're in Mexico. Your face was in the news Max, everybody knows you. You have to look very different from your usual self." Logan said in a soothing voice.

"I know. I just hate looking like a hooker." Max said, this time a little more calmly, and started to apply some equally over the top make-up to match her wig, while Logan started to cover her barcode.

"Hey that tickles." She said and gave Logan a playful glare.

"Just a second." Logan said, concentrating on her neck and not the skimpy outfit that hugged her every curve. "There. All done." Logan finished and stepped back to observe his work.

"Great. Now go try out the cane that was in the bag and let me finish in here." Max said, needing her concentration to complete her transformation into a blond bimbo.

Logan gave her one more appreciative smile and went to the living room. He took the cane, dismissed his walker and carefully took a first step. He winced in pain as he put more weight on his leg than he should have. But nothing in the world would make him go to the airport with the walker. So he just had to get used to the pain.

The phone rang and Logan gave his walker a quick glance, but decided against it, slowly making his way to the phone. Sure he would've been faster with the walker, but he just had to do it this way.

"Hello?" Logan answered the phone, slightly out of breath.

"Logan? Syl here. What's going on? You sound out of breath. Save it for later kids." Syl said and Logan could almost see the grin on her face.

"Very funny. What's up? You ready?" Logan asked suddenly all business-like.

"I was about to ask you that." Syl said still in a playful voice.

"Almost. Max is just getting ready. Our stuff is packed and already in the car. I just have to take the pictures, print the ID's and we're good to go." Logan explained.

"When is your flight?" Syl asked.

"At 4:20 am. We'll be in Vancouver at around 5:30 and our plane to Mexico is at 6:25. It's 3:25 right now. If we leave within 15 or 20 minutes we will have enough time to get there." Logan told her.

"Great. So we better make the call now. Victor said it will only take minutes to re-direct the search teams to the Queensborough location. By the time you arrive at the airport the troops that might be there or near there should have already been pulled off towards the new target location." Syl thought out loud having switched to a more serious, military-like tone herself.

"Great. You make that call and I'll see if Max is finally done in the bathroom." Logan joked and hung up.

"Did I hear my name?" Max asked as she came into the room.

It took Logan a moment to gather his thoughts and regain his speech again. She looked breathtakingly hot. Despite the heavy make-up and blonde wig, she still had her usual attitude, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.

"Yeah. Ahm that was Syl. They're gonna make the call to Renfro now. You ready to go?" Logan said trying to sound casual.

"Sure thing. But shouldn't we take the pictures for our ID's first?" Max said with a honey dripping voice.

"Oh. Right." Logan said taking his eyes from Max. "Sit over there." He motioned Max to the chair in front of the white wall. He slowly walked over to the camera and Max noticed with satisfaction that he could manage to walk with the cane. "Smile." Logan directed and, after Max managed a sweeter than usual smile, he took the picture.

Satisfied with the result he quickly drag'n'dropped the picture into the proper field of the ID and pressed the print button.

"There you go Mrs. Couger." He said and handed her the ID.

"Nice. Now your turn. Go sit." Max said and moved around the camera to take Logan's picture. That done she left Logan to print his ID and moved to the bedroom to put her high heels on.

"Are we ready?" Logan asked again from the front door where he stood and waited for Max.

"Never readier in my life." Max said as she walked towards Logan with swaying hips.

"Good." Logan said taking in her curvaceous form. "Come here."

Max walked closer to him smiling her most seductive smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him, careful not to knock him over. "What is it Jack?" She rasped.

"A kiss for luck Diane?" Logan asked and lowered his mouth to kiss her thoroughly.

After a few precious minutes they reluctantly broke the kiss. All seduction and playfulness was gone and Logan hugged her close to him. Max hugged him back but eventually pulled back.

"Let's go." She said, hating to interrupt the moment.

"Let's." Logan said and opened the door for her.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

"Alright. I spoke to Logan. They are ready to go. I think it's time to make the call to Renfro." Syl said to Victor and OC after she re-entered the apartment.

"Let's do it then." Victor said and took the phone from Syl's hand. "Did they drop the clue?"

"Don't know. Logan's informant took care of that. Just make sure to lead as many troops as you can to Queensborough." Syl said and sat down on the kitchen counter ready to listen in to the conversation.

"Okay." Victor said, took a deep breath, motioned Cindy over to listen in and dialed the fateful number.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

Thomas checked the caller ID and alerted his fellow soldiers. They looked at each other, not knowing whether to call Director Renfro right now.

"Is it him?" The raspy voice of Renfro called through the room.

"Yes ma'am. The signal is from Victor's cell phone. Sector 5. 339 Waverly." Thomas replied.

Satisfied, Renfro gestured for the phone and Thomas brought her the receiver. "Yes?" Renfro answered.

"Director Renfro, ma'am. Just received intel on the whereabouts of 452. After intense interrogation, her roommate told me about the last phone call she received from 452. We don't have the exact location but it was a motel room in Queensborough. Don't know what motel, Ma'am. Looks like they have been moving further east. Suggest pulling all the search teams to this location and calling back the search teams who moved further east. Once we find the motel we might be able to figure out where they have been and where they went. Ma'am." Victor finished and looked at Syl, who nodded in agreement to what he just had conveyed.

"The plane went down close to Queensborough. When did she receive the call?" Renfro asked.

"Two day ago. But from what 452 told her they had an injured one. They wouldn't have been able to move as quickly with someone injured. So they might still be in the area. At least some of them – the injured one." Victor explained.

"Show me where the search teams are." Renfro ordered Thomas.

"Yes ma'am." Thomas answered and moved to the computer to pull up a map to show Director Renfro where the search teams were momentarily located.

**Airport Motel ****New Westminster**

Logan pulled the car into a parking lot of the motel and turned off the engine. "We have to split up here. I called two cabs to take us to the airport. We'll arrive separately and board and sit separately. You have your ID and your luggage. The cab is picking you up in front of the motel. You go first. I have the cab that takes me to the airport come right here to the car to pick me up." Logan explained.

"Okay. You gonna be alright? " Max asked not ready to separate just now.

"Yeah. I'm fine. We'll see each other in Mexico. It's better not to meet up in Vancouver. Too risky. Let's just pretend we don't know each other." Logan said and handed Max her ID and some cash.

"I don't have to say that I don't like this, do I?" Max said, taking the ID and the money from Logan and storing it in her carry-on bag.

"I don't like it either Max. But that's the only way to do this." Logan said, taking her hand in his.

"We will see each other in Mexico Logan. Won't we? Tell me it's gonna be alright." Max pleaded squeezing his hand.

"It's gonna be alright Max." Logan said, telling her what she needed to hear.

"Liar." Max said with a laugh that didn't reach her eyes.

"Maybe so. But we have to try it Max. And if it doesn't work I'm sure you'll come and save the day. And as the official side-kick I'll be there for you if something goes wrong. We have no other choice. We have no other plan. This is it Max. And even though I'm not sure that it's gonna go exactly the way we planned it – I'm sure we're gonna make it. I hope we're gonna make it." Logan said, dragging Max to him for a hug that left no doubt about it that he meant what he said.

"Hope is for losers." Max said and hugged him back.

"Hey. Never deprive someone of hope – it might be all they have." Logan said and stopped her reply by kissing her senseless.

"You have more of those wise cracks?" Max asked after breaking the kiss.

"Sure. Wanna hear more?" Logan asked while staring into her eyes.

"Just one or two." Max answered and placed her head on his chest while he hugged her tight.

"Okay. Lemme think. Salinger said: The mark of an immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while a mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." Logan finished kissing the top of her head.

"And what does that have to do with us?" Max asked, mumbling into his neck.

"It means that I'm a mature man." Logan explained and without further explanation he kissed her. It wasn't a hungry kiss that was supposed to lead to sex. It wasn't a sweet kiss that was supposed to show his love for her. It wasn't a kiss that said goodbye for they might never see each other again. It was a kiss that held a promise for a future. A future together.

"So you're never gonna let us down?" Max said after breaking the kiss.

"Never." Logan said and confirmed it with another kiss.

After only a minute they had to break it up. "You better grab those bags and get moving." Logan said and reluctantly let go of her.

"Yeah. I should." Max said and opened the passenger door. Then she turned back to Logan. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too Max." Logan replied.

They shared a quick kiss and then Max – or Diane – hopped out of the car, grabbed her bags and made her way towards the entrance of the airport hotel to grab her cab to the airport terminal while Logan waited in the car for his cab to arrive.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"32 motels in the area of Queensborough." Thomas said waiting for an order.

"How many search troops are in the area?" Renfro asked.

"There are 15 search teams within a 20 mile radius of Queensborough." Thomas answered while typing away frantically on his keyboard.

"Move those teams to Queensborough immediately. Have the one's located at Vancouver airport and Vancouver harbor take the place of the ones that moved over from west. Get the troops far east to move closer to Queensborough ready to move out." Renfro ordered Thomas then turned her attention back to Victor, who was listening in on the phone. "Try to get something else out of her. But I don't think she knows any more. The kill her and come back."

"Yes ma'am." Victor answered not quite satisfied with the way things had gone.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

"That went as well as we could have hoped for." Syl said after Victor had hung up the phone.

"Could've gone better." Victor said and sat down on the stool next to Syl.

"What did you expect Renfro to do? Send all the troops to Queensborough? Fat chance. We can be glad that she pulled the search teams from Vancouver airport. All Max and Logan have to do is get there." Syl said, feeling strangely sympathetic for Victor.

"Guess so. Now all we can do is wait." Victor said slightly defeated.

"Go get some sleep. I'll head over to TC and see if we can monitor Max and Logan's whereabouts by checking their faked identities." Syl said and put on her coat.

"Can you manage alone with the guys?" Syl asked Cindy.

"Don't worry 'bout me sista. You go and check on my girl. Call Original Cindy as soon as you hear something new. I'm gonna try to claim my bed again." Cindy said and waved a goodbye to Syl and a goodnight to Victor.

_Now let's go and wake up Mr. Jack Daniels,_ Cindy thought, making her way to her bedroom. Alec still lay in bed, snoring softly and sleeping hard.

Cindy sat on the edge of the bed looking down on him for a few seconds, remembering what he had told her. Remembering the pain and loneliness he felt and expressed. She reached out to his shoulder to shake him awake softly. He didn't even move. She was just about to shake him harder when she realized that she had no idea what to say to him. What could she possibly say to him? She was tired and exhausted and at a loss of wisdom right now.

_Maybe this can wait._ She thought and lay down next to him again. _This can definitely wait till tomorrow,_ were her last thoughts before she fell asleep. The last thing she registered were two strong arms hugging her – and this time she didn't mind.

**Airport, ****New Westminster**

"Here we go Mr. Mellencamp. Have a nice flight." The flight attendant said and handed Logan his boarding pass.

"Thank you." Logan replied, taking the pass and making his way slowly towards the plane. They had offered him a transport, but he had stubbornly refused.

Once inside the plane the stewardess took his carry-on bag and led him to his seat. He plopped down in his seat; clearly exhausted from the distance he had to walk. After a moment of catching his breath he took the opportunity to glance around the plane, not knowing if Max had already boarded the plane or if she ran into any trouble.

"Excuse me sir. Would you mind moving your cane?" Came a very familiar voice from behind his seat.

_Max_

_Logan_

They hadn't even taken off but at this moment they felt like they had made it. They smiled at each other for a few seconds, happy to see each other again. Then they reminded themselves that they shouldn't even know each other and looked away.

"Not at all Miss." Logan – or Jack – replied.

"Thank you. You are too kind." Max – or Diane – answered sweetly and walked past Logan to get to her seat.

Logan watched her stow her bag away and sit down – and he was happy.

_AN: There you go. I hope you liked it. The next update will be the last chapter of this story and will be posted shortly. Thanks for reading._

_Lfbrox_


	26. Acapulco Heat

**_Hormones_**

By: lfbrox

Rating: R

Timeframe: A couple of month after Freak Nation. Logan can of course walk.

_AN: Hey everybody who is still reading. I know I told you I would post every Thursday but I changed the ending (again), meaning adding about 30 pages. That way I have the possibility to do a sequel if I want to or leave it as a finished story. I promised to post the last chapter before Christmas. So here it is._

_As for the whole fic.__ It started out in the year 2001 as a little one or two chapter fic which I didn't intend to have a plot. All I wanted to address was that after being holed up for a while in TC hormones would get involved and complicate things. But it turned out differently. I made up a plot and decided to finish it no matter how long it would take. I moved 3 times during this fic. Had 2 boyfriends. Had 4 jobs. Watched Season 1 DVD about 7 times and Season 2 about 3 times. But I enjoy writing this and I enjoy that people read it. Love it or not. So here is the end. It took years. Mostly delayed due to something I call the bitch of a real life. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I thank everybody who reviewed and those who just read it without reviewing. _

_A big "Thank You" goes out to Sammi for being a great beta. I look forward finishing 'Facing Death' with you. Let's see where this fic leads us to. _

_I wish you a merry, merry Christmas and a great start for 2005. This is my present for you. Here we go guys. This is the last chapter:_

_Reposting – this time beta-read_

**Chapter 25: ****Acapulco**** heat**

_They hadn't even taken off but at this moment they felt like they had made it. They smiled at each other for a few seconds, happy to see each other again. Then they reminded themselves that they shouldn't even know each other and looked away._

_"Not at all Miss." Logan – or Jack – replied._

_"Thank you. You are just too kind." Max – or Diane – answered sweetly and walked passed __Logan__ to get to her seat._

_Logan__ watched her stow her bag away and sit down – and he was happy._

**Terminal****City****, Headquarters:**

It was almost 4 am when Syl arrived at Terminal City Headquarters. Besides Dix and Luke, who were busy going through the Manticore files, there were only a few transgenics there monitoring the Terminal City fences.

"Hey guys. Care for a break?" Syl asked, sitting down in a chair next to Dix and Luke.

"Hey Syl. How did it go?" Dix asked and swiveled in his chair to face her.

"Well, Victor made the call and Renfro pulled the search-teams from Vancouver to head towards Queensborough. That's good news. Max and Logan are on their way to New Westminster airport. In fact," Syl said checking her watch, "they should already be there by now. Their plane is leaving at 4:20 am. Can we check if the plane left with them on board?" Syl asked. "I have their aliases. Jack Mellencamp and Diane Couger. Think you could hack in?"

"No problem. Give me a minute." Dix replied and turned to his computer again, happy to do something different and something he knew he could do.

**Warehouse, outside of ****Seattle**

"Give me an update." Renfro said to no one in particular after rolling out of her chambers.

"Yes ma'am." Thomas answered and turned to pull up the latest information on his screen. They all had the same rank in the command center, but it seemed that Thomas had taken Victor's place while he was gone. And no one objected to that. Having to deal with Renfro was not something anyone really desired.

"The troops from Vancouver airport are already past Richmond moving closer to Queensborough. The troops from Vancouver harbor are close to Tilbury ma'am. We have 5 teams already in Queensborough. They have already checked 7 motels. So far nothing ma'am. The 3 troops that are coming in from east are almost in Queensborough and start to search on the east side. We have 3 more teams coming from the north and 2 from the south who should be there in about 20 minutes. Ma'am." Thomas finished showing director Renfro the screen and pointing to the search-teams he was talking about.

"Get more search teams. The faster we find the motel they were staying at the faster we can hunt them down." Renfro said, turned and disappeared again.

**New Westminster**** airport:**

"…and we hope you have a nice flight. Please turn to your monitors for further safety instructions. Take off will be in 10 minutes. We will serve a light breakfast and you have 25 music channels available to enjoy your flight to Vancouver airport. Expected arrival time is 5:30 am. If you have a connecting flight, please see your flight attendant. We hope you enjoy your flight." The flight attendants announced through the loudspeakers.

10 minutes till take-off. And nothing unexpected had happened yet. But Logan was still tense. He wouldn't be able to relax till they were finally on their way. The safety instruction started on the monitor in front of him, but he didn't pay any attention. He frequently checked the entrances and exits waiting for a military task force to storm the plane and take his Max from him. His hands were sweaty and his heart was beating like he had just run a marathon. Between his hectic glances towards the doors he kept checking on Max. He could only see her arm but that was enough for him.

Max was more relaxed. Getting through the security check and onto the plane had calmed her down. She was sure nothing would happen now. They would definitely make it to Vancouver. But what then? Would Manticore be waiting for them? Would everything be over? Could she take care of herself, her baby and her Logan at the same time? She took a deep breath. No need to worry about that now. One step at a time.

They heard the engine start and saw the flight attendant close the doors. So far so good. But it still didn't calm Logan down. All he focused on was that elbow. The elbow he could see from his seat. Max's elbow. She was there. With him.

The plane started to take off. It made its way faster and faster on the runway until it finally lifted off. Max let out a sigh of relief. They would make it to Vancouver. She concentrated on that and pushed all worries on what would or could happen there aside. She turned around and looked at Logan. Their eyes met and they shared a smile. But she quickly turned back, not wanting to show that she knew him.

She rested her head on the back of her seat and closed her eyes. The last time she had boarded a plane was with the intention of solving the Terminal City situation with Clemente. That turned out in the disaster she was momentarily in. The plane crashed, Logan got injured and she was on the run again – maybe for the rest of her life. But the flight itself was something she would never forget. She and Logan had made a baby. The baby she was now carrying under her heart and would protect and love for the rest of her life. And because of that she would never regret getting on that plane.

Logan also visibly relaxed after taking off. _Who would have thought that this trip that was about solutions, about peace, about reunion would turn out that nasty._ Logan thought with frustration but then had to smile. Because it wasn't all bad. Hell it was even great if you dismissed the fact that a lot of people wanted to kill them. He was going to be a Dad. He was going to have a baby with the woman he loved. It couldn't get better than that.

How he would have loved to drag her to the closest bathroom right now to relive the moment again. But he knew that it would be inappropriate. Even risky. So he settled for the recollections of the last time they had shared a bathroom on a plane and looked over to where Max was sitting. Just at that moment Max turned her head to look at him and their eyes met. It wasn't like before. Their gaze held no sign of worry, relief or doubt. It was pure longing, leaving no doubt that Max was thinking about the same thing Logan was. The realization that both were thinking about the same thing brought a huge grin on their faces – neither caring who saw them. Logan raised his eyebrows and Max gave him a wink. Then they sat back in their seats and concentrated again on pretending to be strangers.

**Queensborough**

Even though it was just 4:30 in the morning the streets of Queensborough were packed. Black vans, black jeeps, black hummers crowded the main streets. All the search teams had arrived in town, and were now searching motel after motel.

They had already searched 18 motels with no sign of their target. They knew that they were searching for an X5. Trained to be invisible. Trained to leave no clues behind. Trained for exactly this. Escape and evade. But the search teams were trained for that. Finding the unfindable.

They were in constant contact with the command center in Seattle and also communicated among each other. If there was the slightest trace on the whereabouts of 452, they would find it.

**Terminal****City****, Headquarters:**

"Got'em." Dix yelled.

Syl, who was taking a nap on one of the couches in the command center, jumped up and almost ran over to Dix and Luke.

"What do you have?" She said alert and awake.

"Here." Dix said and pointed to the screen. "It took a while but now I hacked into the mainframe of the airline. They are on board and will be arriving in Vancouver in about 10 minutes."

"Have all troops been pulled from Vancouver airport?" Luke asked.

"From what Renfro ordered yes. But we can't be sure. Still a waiting game. There's nothing we can do now. We will have Victor call in again in about half an hour to see if they have found the motel. Then he will head back to Renfro and Co. to make sure everything is clear for Max and Logan in Vancouver." Syl explained.

"We'll keep monitoring the airline. But there's not a lot we can say or do until we know the plane has left Vancouver at about 6:25 am. Go catch some z's and we call you when we know more." Dix said and turned back to his computer.

"No. I'll wait till after Victor's phone call to Renfro. I better give them a wake up call." Syl said and headed in the direction of the phone.

**Vancouver****Airport**

"…till the plane has arrived at its final position. Those who have an international connecting flight, please leave first. You can pick up your luggage at claim number 5. Then check-in again at the counter stated on your ticket. We hope you have enjoyed your flight and hope to see you again." The flight attendant announced while the plane descended.

It took 10 more minutes for the plane to come to a stop and Logan got up to retrieve his cane and carry-on bag. He quickly checked on Max, but she had already left her seat. He made his way out of the plane as quickly as he could, so he could get to the baggage claim in the hope of seeing Max there.

They had 45 minutes to board the plane to Mexico. He somehow felt like those 45 minutes would show if he was going to life his life in happiness or in unbearable pain. If he had been able to run he would've. For he couldn't wait for his life in happiness to begin.

**Queensborough**

"Location?" Thomas asked.

"Last stop inn Motel. We've just arrived. On our way to the reception." Trooper 8 answered.

"That's motel number 28. Search thoroughly. Check in after interrogations." Thomas said and turned his attentions to the other search teams that checked the last 4 motels on their list.

"Possible hit." Trooper 8 proclaimed only 15 minutes later.

"What do you got?" Thomas answered.

"Receptionist recognized picture of target. We're checking the room they were staying at. Luckily they haven't cleaned it yet. But only two people checked in. From the pictures we showed the clerk, one of them was 452." Trooper 8 explained while heading towards the room the receptionist told them to go to.

"Be careful. Check for every detail." Thomas unnecessarily ordered.

"Some blood on the sheets. Nothing in the trash. No phone calls. Notepad next to the phone has been used. But they tried to cover it by ripping off several sheets. Trying to figure out what they wrote down by chemically testing it. Takes 5 minutes." Trooper 8 explained to Thomas while waiting for the chemicals to reveal what had been written on the notepad.

"Got it. New Westminster. No address but it says '2nd left after entering New Westminster'. That should be inside the woods. Await further instructions." Trooper 8 revealed and waited for orders.

"How fast can you get there?" Thomas asked already feeling Renfro's presence but not acknowledging it.

"25 minutes." Trooper 8 answered, having already motioned for his men to return to the SUV.

"Send them there immediately. Have 4 more teams get to this location. The rest of the troops circle New Westminster. If they are still there make sure they won't get out." Renfro ordered and moved back to her office to monitor the progress from there. She sat close to the screen, not wanting to risk things to going sideward again. She was close and she needed to be in control.

"You heard her." Thomas said into the intercom knowing that all search teams had heard what director Renfro just said. Knowing that all search teams would do what she said – fearing for their lives.

Without any hesitation they all headed for their vehicle and raced their way towards New Westminster.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

Victor arrived back at the warehouse and quickly entered. He walked inside and shut the door noisily to announce his presence. All heads turned to look at him, but, seeing that Thomas was already on his way to Victor to give him an update, they quickly went back to work.

"Sir. We found the motel in Queensborough about 10 minutes ago. We recovered a note that indicated that the suspects are in New Westminster. Somewhere in the woods. 5 search-teams are on their way there, the other teams will circle New Westminster to make sure they can't get out. Sir." Thomas explained.

Victor nodded briefly and headed towards the computers to check the locations of all the search-teams. He knew Max and Logan must've landed in Vancouver already, heading for their plane to Mexico.

His eyes quickly scanned the screen. _Good. No teams anywhere near the airport. _Victor thought and headed over to his desk to take over coordinating the teams. He knew that Renfro would come out sooner or later too, not only expecting an update but also expecting a very dead body. He would have to think of something till then. But right now he was busy trying to make sure that everybody was busy searching for the transgenics in New Westminster where he knew they had left hours ago.

**Vancouver****Airport**

After picking up his luggage and checking back in for his flight to Mexico, Logan went to the waiting area, sitting there nervously. He hadn't seen Max since leaving the plane and he was extremely nervous and worried.

The boarding would start in about 25 minutes and Max should have been there already. He didn't like it. He sat there fidgeting in his seat willing for Max to come through the gate. He imagined what could have happened to her and he felt sick to his stomach.

Little did he know that Max would've been at the waiting area long ago if there weren't so many men surrounding her, hitting on her, attempting to help her. After she had left the plane and made her way to the baggage claim about 5 different guys had offered to help her with her luggage. Trying to fit her role as the blond bimbo, Max accepted the help and let them carry her bags. Every time one of her 'bell-boys' tried to get closer she managed to get away. But the last one was really clingy. And now she sat in a restaurant drinking a cup of coffee with Eddie while all she wanted to do was go to the waiting hall to see if Logan was there. But she had to play her part.

"…Passengers rows 15 to 35 boarding now." Came the announcement. Logan looked at his boarding pass and noticed with discomfort that he was in row 35. He didn't want to board the plane without knowing if Max would be there. But he couldn't risk drawing too much attention to himself. So he slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way towards the tunnel that led him to the plane.

"Gotta go and catch my plane." Max said after downing her coffee.

"Too bad. We were just getting to know each other." Eddie said and moved closer to her to receive a kiss he thought he deserved after spending 15 minutes of his precious time with her.

"Sorry." Max said after dodging his kissing-attempts. "But I have to catch my plane to Mexico where I will meet up with my boyfriend who is the father of this little wonder we call life." Max said and touched her still flat belly.

Eddie backed up faster than a bullet after that and Max made her way towards the gate. She couldn't believe that everything had gone so well. Used to being disappointed all her life, she had expected some complications. But after passing the gate, checking in and making her way to the plane she wasn't so sure that everything was bound to go sideward when it comes to her. Maybe she was the lucky one for once in her life.

The flight attendant greeted her and showed her where to sit. A 36. It was a long way through the plane and Max grew more and more uneasy the further she walked. No Logan.

The flight attendant finally came to a stop and stored Max's carry-on bag in the over-head compartment over her seat when Max noticed the cane that stuck out into the aisle.

_Logan_

After the flight attendant left Max was finally able to move further. And there he was.

_Logan_

There he was. Sitting in his seat. Sweat beading on his forehead and pale as hell. Their eyes met and his face lit up. She smiled back at him feeling relieved and feeling happy. Hopeful. She walked passed him and sat down in her seat, glad that Logan was sitting so close to her. Sitting there smiling like a fucking idiot. Only 15 more minutes and they would be on their way to Mexico. The little voice that kept nagging on her, that nothing is going to be easy was clearly shut up. They were gonna make it – she was sure of that.

**Terminal****City****, Headquarters:**

"Well. It's all on schedule. The plane to Mexico left at 6:30 am and the passenger list shows a Jack Mellencamp and a Diane Couger are on board. It looks like Max and Logan made it." Luke explained to Syl.

"Yeah. Looks like. I just talked to Victor before he left Cindy's crib. He's going back to the warehouse to monitor the search troops. He just has to convince Renfro that he didn't have to kill Cindy. Other than that we're back to the waiting thingy." Syl said and poured herself some more of the un-drinkable TC coffee.

"Better call OC to tell her that Max and Logan made it." Dix said and reached for the phone.

"It's 6:45. She might be still asleep." Luke interjected.

"She said to call her and let her know her gurl is alright." Dix defended his actions.

"Alright. Call her." Luke gave in and turned back to the Manticore files while Dix dialed Cindy's number.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

Cindy woke for the second time that night. This time it was the phone. She knew it was Alec who was hugging her from behind. She knew what had gone down while she was sleeping. A regular day with her un-regular roommate, or ex-roommate now. She untangled herself from Alec's strong grip and stumbled to the phone.

"That betta be global." Cindy answered the phone already heading in the direction of the coffee.

"Hey your grouchiness. Just thought you wanted to know that your Boo and Logan made it to the plane to Mexico without any trouble. Victor went back to his bitching bitch. Guess we'll have to wait a couple hours till they've landed in Mexico and get in touch with us. Just thought I'd give you the 411." Syl reported in a playful tone, still imagining the picture of Alec and OC in bed.

"Thanks boo. You make sure that Original Cindy is being kept well informed. Later." Cindy said and hung up the phone.

She poured herself another cup of coffee. The third that night. She really didn't feel like staying up right now but it was already 7 am and she still had a day job. Not that she really wanted to go there.

"Fuck." Was all she heard. But it was all she needed to hear to know that Alec finally woke up. She poured another cup of coffee and walked towards her bedroom that, under some strange circumstances, had become her and Alec's bedroom.

"You among the living again." Cindy stated and handed Alec the coffee.

"Are you gonna fill me in on last night? Cause I'm sure at a loss." Alec said taking the cup from Cindy.

"Let's just say Original Cindy knows what's bugging ya." Cindy said sitting down next to him.

"What did I say?" Alec asked sitting up himself, now clearly uncomfortable.

"The truth." Cindy simply answered.

"The truth being?" Alec responded, having no clue what he had told Cindy the night before, but fearing that he had said too much.

"Well you said a lot. But what Original Cindy picked up was the essential. You envy what Max and Logan have because that is what you want for yourself. But you would rather die, joke or kill yourself than admit it. Alec. There ain't nothin' wrong with wishing to have someone to love you the way you are. The way you really are. You ain't Manticore anymore. You're gonna find your way around. Just like Max did. You have the chance and the potential to live a normal life. Don't go killing yourself on stuff like that." Cindy said looking at him sympathetically.

"I know." Alec answered taking a big gulp of the coffee. The events and their pretty one-sided conversation slowly came back to him. He knew he had said too much to Cindy. There was no way of talking himself out of it. And she was right.

"I'm the playa. I'm the one to turn to when you wanna have fun. I mess everything up. I'm a yapper. God knows this whole Max and Logan thing is making me sick. God knows that I can't stand them together. God knows that I can't stand Logan for writing down things, feelings that I had for Rachel. They are just sickening me. They have it all – and what do I have. Shit." Alec confessed knowing that he could say those things to Cindy after last night.

"Yeah. They have it all. First Max's death. Then a killer virus that prevented them from getting' it on. Then a cure that lasted only 12 hours. Then him almost dying because he touched her. Eventually they cured the virus after a long hard fight. Please tell me Alec how those two don't deserve to be together cause Original Cindy don't see it." Cindy said, not believing that Alec felt that Max and Logan had it easy.

"I don't say that they don't deserve to be together. I'm just saying that WE. The transgenics. We can't have it all. Can't have the happily ever after. And if one of us is being tricked into it that we can have a normal life, than that person – Max – has to get her head set straight. We don't belong with them." Alec defended his opinion.

"How do you know all of that? Haven't you read Logan's poems? Didn't he make sure that he loves Max? Didn't he express how he feels? Don't he say that he don't care who, or what she is? What makes you think that Max can have that but you can't? What makes you think that you cannot be as happy as Max is? As happy as Max and Logan are? It's easy to make fun of something like that. But only if you're ignorant. No matter what you do in your life, no matter what hidden, awful thoughts you think, no matter what you think you deserve yourself, love is always possible. It's always there to happen. You just have to let it happen." Cindy preached, hoping to get through to Alec.

"I know all of that Cindy. I had all of that. But I lost it. And it was my fault. You think I can have that feeling again?" Alec almost yelled. "You think I could just forget? The way you see it there's that one person. The only person. Well. I had mine. And I blew it. Literally." Alec said laying back down on the bed.

"There might only be that first love that you have. The one true love that I had with Diamond and you had with Rachel. But what are we gonna do? Live celibate for the rest of our lives? You gotta believe that there is someone else out there for you too. Cause I sure as hell think that there is someone else out there for me." Cindy tried to cheer him up but ended up feeling depressed herself.

"Whateva. So you're gonna switch teams for me?" Alec asked with a smirk.

"You think I'm the perfect gurl for ya?" Cindy asked incredulous.

"Well. You get me." Alec answered smiling at her. Not a smirk but a genuine smile.

"Still no reason to do the dirty with you. But I'm there for you. You know that, right?" Cindy said, feeling that the conversation was at an end. She couldn't help Alec with his self-hate, his jealousy towards Max and Logan. But she could be a friend for him. Maybe the only friend he had where he could be truly himself.

**Safe house, ****New Westminster**

"Looks deserted. Entering now." Trooper 8 reported.

They didn't expect them to be there anymore but they still took all precautions and had the building surrounded by troops. McGee – the leader of Trooper 8 – carefully made his way up the stairs. It was unlocked. He turned the knob and entered the room with his gun drawn.

He motioned 4 other soldiers in and after a few short moments it was clear that the safe house was vacant. Even though they found a lot of signs that someone had been there just a few hours ago. It was still warm even though the heat had been turned off and the water tank was only half full indicating that someone had taken a shower in the last 8 hours.

"No one is there. But we can tell that someone has been here in the last 8 hours." McGee informed Victor.

"Try to find a clue on where they have gone." Victor ordered "They can't be too far."

"5 Search troops are taking the place apart. If there is a clue on where to find them. We will." McGee answered.

"Good. Keep on searching." Victor said and turned to Renfro who had been listening to everything in her chambers and had now come out. Victor didn't know why but he doubted that she wanted to congratulate him.

"It was quite easy to figure out that they stayed at a motel at Queensborough. Wasn't it? It was quite easy to figure out where they went next. Wasn't it? Don't you think it was a little too easy? Now wasn't it too easy to find that oh so hidden note on the notepad?" Renfro rasped and Victor swallowed cotton. _She knows something. _Victor thought.

"You think they are playing us, ma'am?" Victor asked trying not to show how busted he felt.

"Yes. And I intend to find out how. I intend to find out where they are. I intend to catch them and kill them. They can't hide forever. I won't let them." Renfro said and looked intently at Victor.

"We'll find them, ma'am." Victor assured her.

"What's with the roommate? Didn't see you dragging her body in." Renfro asked with slight amusement.

"She's tied up in her apartment, ma'am. I figured that she could be useful in case we don't find 452. Sooner or later 452 will contact her and I plan on sitting right next to her when that happens." Victor explained, not knowing what else to do to explain the absence of Original Cindy's dead body.

"Hmmhm." Was all that Renfro replied before she turned abound and disappeared again.

_That was close. Maybe too close. She knows something is up. Does she know that it was me who set her up?_ Victor thought and busied himself checking on the search progress.

**Terminal****City****, Headquarters:**

"So they made it?" Alec asked after arriving at Terminal City.

"Yes. The plane left Vancouver airport heading to Mexico about an hour ago. And Max and Logan are on board. Don't think Renfro knows about that." Luke explained.

"I know it sounds good but I won't celebrate until I know they made it there alright." Syl said and moved over to check the screen.

"So what are we gonna do after Max and Logan made it to Mexico alright?" Alec asked feeling thoroughly unappreciated.

"Don't know. Enjoy the sun. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the fact that they are having a baby." Syl said thinking of a lot of great things to do.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"Here's the list sir." Thomas said and dropped the paper on Victor's desk.

"That's all the flights that left New Westminster airport in the past 6 hours?" Victor asked, surprised that the list was so short.

"Yes sir. It's a small airport." Thomas explained and waited for Victor to check the list and tell him what to do next.

"There's one to Calgary, Montreal, Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto." Victor said more to himself than to Thomas.

"You think they went east sir?" Thomas said, wondering why Victor had only mentioned the flights going east, when there were also flights to Vancouver or directly to the US.

"I think so. They came from Vancouver. They must know we have the airport under surveillance." Victor said hoping he sounded believable. He had to make sure that they checked Vancouver airport last and concentrated on checking the airports further east until Max and Logan had made it to Mexico without being detected.

"Check the passenger lists of those flights east first. Look for anything suspicious. Check each and every single name if you have to. I don't suspect they made it easy for us to find them." Victor said and dismissed Thomas to check the flights he knew Max and Logan were definitely not on.

Thomas left and did what he was told, not questioning his orders. Victor was relieved. _That bought them time_, he thought. He was in charge so he didn't need to ask for Renfro's approval to his decision. But he knew that she was watching him from her chambers. He could almost feel her eyes on him. That didn't feel too good. He knew that Renfro was suspicious. He knew that she was waiting for him to make a mistake only to act on it immediately and kill him. Right there in front of everybody to demonstrate to the others that it wasn't a good idea to betray her.

He wondered briefly if he should sneak out to make a phone call and check on Max and Logan, but he thought better of it and stayed put in front of his computer screen, waiting for Thomas to return with a result, for a search-team to find a clue or for Renfro to kill him. Whichever came first.

**On Board:**

After sitting still for 5 hours Max couldn't take it anymore. She had stopped being nervous about two hours into the flight and started to relax. She had listened to some music, flipped through the offered channels and ended up watching Logan's reflection in the monitor. But now she grew restless. She needed to stretch. She needed to run. She needed to kiss the man sitting behind her. But that wasn't an option, so she decided to get up and walk up and down the aisle for a bit.

Logan saw her get up and his body tensed. He quickly checked the aisle expecting some beefy guys dressed in black running towards Max. But other than the stewardess and some passengers there was nobody suspicious to see. Max saw him tense and saw the panic in his eyes so she quickly took a step towards him.

"Stretching my legs." She said by way of explanation.

"Oh. Yeah." Logan replied feeling stupid to have panicked. "It's a long flight Miss."

"It is." Max replied and walked past him like he was an ordinary stranger that she just had a quick chat with.

She walked towards the bathroom in the back of the plane to do some stretching – at least as much stretching she could do in that confined space there. She felt all eyes on her and wished she could take the wig off, wash her face and put on some comfortable jeans, a shirt and her boots. But she knew she couldn't do that yet. She quickly made her way over to the bathroom. She locked the door and leaned against it with her back, taking a deep breath.

"I hate this." She mumbled, watching herself in the mirror. She couldn't even splash water on her face, because that would ruin her artfully applied make-up. So she settled for washing her hands and stretching her back and legs. She would have stayed in there for another hour or so but a knock on the door kept her from doing so. Reluctantly she opened the door, smiled sweetly at the intruding passenger and walked back towards her seat.

The flight attendants were busy getting the lunch ready and Max watched for a while. Then she noticed the cart with drinks standing next to her. She quickly checked if the flight attendants were all busy, then opened a drawer and grabbed a few of the little bottles with Whiskey, Vodka and Rum. She stored most of them in her purse and with a smile walked back towards her seat.

She made a quick stop next to Logan's seat, checked if the two people next to him were asleep and slipped 2 little bottles in his breast pocket. He looked up in surprise. Max just winked at him and moved to her seat where she plopped down.

Logan smiled when he saw Max getting one of the small bottles out of her purse, opened it and turned in his direction to toast to him. Logan smiled brightly, retrieved one of the bottles from his breast pocket, and without looking at it opened it and toasted back. The strong liquid burned in his throat and warmed his insides. He leaned back in his seat and felt totally relaxed. He was tired and now he felt like taking a little nap. He was absolutely content. The only thing that was missing was Max in his arms. _Soon. Very soon._ Logan told himself and closed his eyes, deciding that if he couldn't have her in his arms right now, he might as well dream about it.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

After 3 hours all passengers on the flights to east Canada had been checked and nothing suspicious had come up. Victor hadn't expected things would go so fast and ran a hand nervously through his hair. Even if Max and Logan had made it to Vancouver and were on the plane to Mexico, they still had about 4 hours left before they would land in Mexico City and about 2 ½ hours in US air-space.

"Now what sir?" Thomas asked and ripping Victor out of his thoughts.

"Try the US flights next. Then move to the flights going west." Victor ordered. "We don't even know if they have already left New Westminster. We should check the motels there. Also the woods near the safe house. They might be closer than we think."

"Yes sir. Right away." Thomas said and rushed to the intercom to coordinate the search teams in New Westminster, while his fellow soldiers started to check the flights to the US for any suspicious passengers with no known background.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

Alec strolled out of the mess hall after grabbing some lunch. He wasn't really sure what to do with himself. Everybody seemed to have something to do. But for some reason he had been left out of it. Maybe because he hadn't been around a lot in the last few days. Or maybe because they had left him alone, figuring he needed to relax after his adventure in Canada. Or maybe it was simply because not a lot of the guys were talking to him after his fight with Mole. He had no idea what it was but it started to piss him off.

If only he had kept his mouth shut on the plane. Then none of that would have happened and he'd be the hero for bringing everybody back and out of the line of fire. But no. It seemed that he was talking quite a bit lately and it only got him in trouble or left him vulnerable.

_Why am I still hanging around here? Apparently nobody needs me or even wants me here. And I could certainly do without them. It's time to move on. I should have done that in the first place. How did I get so involved here?_ Alec thought and quickly changed directions to go to his crib, pack his stuff and get the hell out of there.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"I got something sir." Thomas yelled across the room to Victor.

"What is it?" Victor said while moving towards Thomas' desk.

"Here sir." Thomas pointed to his screen. "Two passengers on a flight to Logan Airport, Boston. Departing from New Westminster at 7:30. Jerry Palmer, 35, works as product manager for a medical device company. And Lucy Reed, 23, a law student at Harvard. Checked in 10 minutes prior to boarding. Passports brand new. Not much luggage. They bought the tickets directly at New Westminster airport prior to check-in." Thomas reported.

Victor was surprised to hear that. Positively surprised. "When's the plane arriving at Logan airport?" Victor asked.

"In 5 hours sir." Thomas answered. "Request permission to investigate further sir."

"Granted. But check the search teams in New Westminster first." Victor said then turned to the others. "You go and check the rest of the flights. Call me if you find anything."

"Yes sir." The soldiers replied obediently and went back to check the remaining passenger lists while Thomas checked in with the search teams in New Westminster and surroundings.

**On Board:**

Logan was asleep on his seat. He had a smile on his face and once in while a small sound of pleasure escaped his lips. Max watched him with amusement and could only imagine what he was dreaming about.

"Oh Max. Hmmmmm." Logan moaned, this time a little louder. Max face broke into a huge smile after having the confirmation that he was indeed dreaming about her. And from the sounds he made it was quite the naughty dream. She looked at him for another minute, but reached over and poked him in the shoulder before another moan could escape his lips.

His eyes opened instantly and he looked around in confusion. Such a nice dream. What in the world woke him up?

"Excuse me sir. You were talking in your sleep." Max said in a sugary voice that left him with no doubt that she knew what he was dreaming about.

Logan looked at her and saw the beautiful woman from his dreams sit in front of him smiling knowingly and letting her eyes drop into his lap.

He shrugged his shoulders and blushed lightly. "Sorry." He rasped, but his eyes belied his words. He wasn't sorry in the least.

"S'okay." Max said and turned away from him, still smiling. _If dreaming about me has such an effect on him, just wait till you have the real thing._ She thought looking forward to it.

Logan fidgeted in his seat, still excited from the dream. He too had enough of sitting around and willed the plane to go faster. He checked his watch. 2 more hours to go. There was no way he could go back to sleep again. He was not in the mood to watch TV or listen to music. If only he could talk to Max.

He reached inside his breast pocket and retrieved the last small bottle. He opened it and drank it. He enjoyed the feeling of the strong liquid for a minute but found himself bored again after that. Everybody in the plane seemed to be asleep and the flight attendants sat in their area not really paying any attention. He grabbed his cane and slowly got up. He stood in the aisle in front of his seat for a minute to stretch his soar back.

Max heard something move behind her and turned around. She saw Logan stand in front of his seat, stretching his back and trying to put some weight on his leg. Suddenly Logan turned around looked at her and signaled with his head towards the back of the plane, then grabbed his cane and dragged himself towards the bathroom.

_Did he want me to follow him there?_ Max thought unsure what to make out of his gesture. She decided she'd give him a few minutes and then follow him if he wasn't back.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"Sir. I checked on the two passengers on the flight to Boston. They both are scheduled to board a plane to Germany leaving at 6:25 pm. Sir." Thomas said, just stating the facts and not giving any judgment on what to make of it.

"How many other passengers from that flight to Logan airport are on the plane to Germany?" Victor asked trying not to sound to eager about the findings.

"4 more passengers sir. But they all had booked the flight weeks in advance sir." Thomas answered not able to hold back the urgency in his voice that this was something they should act upon immediately.

Victor knew Renfro was watching and that the only reason she hadn't come out yet was to see how he reacted. "Okay. We follow up on that. Check how many troops are available in Boston. If it's them – they're ours." Victor said to Thomson who hurried to the computer to check how many troops they could get to the airport within the next 3 hours.

"Anything else suspicious on the other flights?" Victor asked the rest of the soldiers. He hoped that nothing else would come up and Max and Logan made it without being detected. But he needed to ask or Renfro would get suspicious that he jumped at the first clue and not investigate further.

"There were two passengers on the flight to Vancouver airport departing New Westminster at 4:25 am, arriving in Vancouver at 5:30 – Jack Mellencamp, 30 and Diane Couger, 25. They both booked the flight on-line only a few hours before boarding." Carls explained.

"So? What about their backgrounds?" Victor said and pretended to be unconcerned.

"Nothing suspicious. He's been working for an insurance company since graduating from Columbia University. She's the ex-wife of a rich oil mogul from Texas. No college education. Once arrested for prostitution but the charges were dropped. Sir." Carls informed Victor.

"So the only thing unusual is the time they bought their tickets?" Victor asked looking at Carls with disapproval that he alarmed him for something as trivial as that.

"Yes sir. Should we investigate any further sir?"

"Can't hurt." Victor replied knowing that it was Max and Logan they were talking about. "But don't invest too much time in it. We need all the man power we have to coordinate the raid on Logan airport." Victor said and moved over to Thomas' desk. "What do we have?"

"We have 25 men in the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine area who are already alerted and on their way to Logan airport. We have 3 teams coming in by helicopter from New York and New Jersey. Sir." Thomas explained.

"Not good enough. We need more men and better equipment. 452 is smart. We can't let her escape again. Bring in more teams." Victor ordered and moved back to his desk to organize some more manpower himself.

**Terminal****City**

After stuffing some clothes in his bag, Alec left Terminal City through the sewer systems. He didn't even check Headquarters again. _Let them deal with their shit themselves. This has nothing to do with me,_ he thought as he made his way underground towards the fence.

He needed transportation to get out of the city. And since Max would either be killed or captured or spend the rest of her life raising little chicas in Mexico with Logan, Alec figured that she wouldn't be needing her baby anymore.

So it was for him to take it – he figured. And since Cindy was still at work he wouldn't even have to explain it. He would be out of there in no time.

**TC Headquarters:**

"How long till they land in Mexico?" Jesse asked.

"Just a second." Dix said and moved to the only computer that wasn't being used for checking Manticore files. "A little less than 2 hours." Dix replied.

"Anything on the Manticore files yet?" Syl asked stepping up next to Jesse.

"Unfortunately not. There are too many files. But we keep working on it." Dix answered.

"Can we help?" Jesse offered.

"Actually yes. I've downloaded some files on this disc. You can search them on this computer." Dix said and handed Jesse a laptop and the disc.

"On it." Jesse simply said and disappeared to find a comfortable spot to go through the files.

"Syl. You can use this computer. I need to stretch my legs and grab something to eat." Luke said and moved from his chair to make room for Syl.

"I have a question." Dix said.

"Shoot." Syl answered while trying to make sense of what Luke left her on the screen.

"Supposing. Just supposing we find something about 'Project unicorn' in the files. What do we do with it?" Dix asked her.

"Good question. I don't know. I guess that depends on what we find. Let's figure it out then." Syl said not really having an answer and hoping she would have one by the time they found something.

"Father." Came Joshua's voice from behind them.

Surprised both, Syl and Dix turned around to look at Joshua. "Father?" they both asked.

"Father can help Max. Father knows the answers. He bring little fella back. And Logan. And baby fella." Joshua said as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"We don't know where father is Josh. And even if we did, this is a secret project. Father is long gone from Manticore. He wouldn't know about it." Syl said looking gently at the giant dog-boy.

"Father will help little fella." Joshua said again with more force and left the command center, determined to find Father.

"Poor Joshua. He'd take it bad if Max doesn't return again." Dix said and after not hearing anything from Syl lifted his head to look at her. She seemed to be deep in thoughts staring intently at nothing in particular.

"Syl?" Dix tried but didn't get a reaction. "Syl? What's wrong?"

"Lydecker." Was all Syl whispered.

"Lydecker." Dix repeated and knew where she was with her thoughts. Maybe Lydecker could help. Maybe not. But it was a plan. Now they only had to find something in the files.

**On Board:**

Logan emerged from the bathroom and almost tumbled in Max' arms.

"Hey watch it mister." Max said quietly, steadying Logan from falling.

"Sorry miss. Didn't see you." Logan replied and stepped back to put some physical distance between him and Max.

"Don't worry. I'll live." Max said and leaned against the wall opposite the bathroom.

"About time we land. My back is killing me." Logan said and smiled at Max. To anybody watching they looked like two strangers who bumped into each other while stretching their legs.

"Yeah. I hate to sit still for so long. I wouldn't mind some physical action now." Max said in a low voice so only Logan could hear her.

"Yeah. I know the feeling." Logan replied returning her sultry smile.

"So what are you doing in Mexico sir?" Max asked.

"Call me Jack." Logan said and extended a hand.

"Diane." Max introduced herself and shook his hand, happy to feel just any part of his skin on hers.

"Nice to meet you Diane." Logan said and reluctantly let go of her hand. "I'm gonna meet up with my girlfriend in Mexico City. Then we plan a nice long vacation in Acapulco. What about you?" Logan asked.

"Acapulco, huh? That sounds nice. I'm just visiting some relatives in Mexico City. I do that every year. But I've never been to Acapulco. Is it nice there?" Max asked hearing for the first time about their plans once arriving in Mexico.

"Yeah. It's beautiful. Nice long beaches. White sand, blue water, palm trees and great company." Logan said and leaned in closer to Max.

"Your girlfriend is a lucky girl Jack." Max stated and held his intense gaze.

"No. I think I'm the lucky one." Logan replied. The urge to lean forward and kiss her was unbearable. Max felt it too and on instinct they leaned forward to seal this moment with a kiss.

"May I ask all passengers to return to their seats and fasten their seat belts. We will start descending shortly. Thank you." The flight attendant announced and interrupted the moment between Max and Logan.

Busted they both drew back and looked around to see if anybody witnesses their private moment. Relieved that their kissing attempts had gone unnoticed they reluctantly stepped further back.

"Guess we should go back." Logan whispered.

"Guess so." Max replied equally silent and together they made their way back to their seats for the final time. The next time they would get up it would be to exit the plane. It would be to enter their future. It would be to seal their fate. Winning or losing. All or nothing.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"We have 4 more teams coming up from North Carolina. They are on the plane right now. Fully equipped sir." Thomas reported.

"Good. We need to cover every exit. The gate they are gonna land. Have the security personnel on the airport replaced with our guys. I don't want them to see you too early. Go in armed but as civilians waiting to pick up relatives. If 452 sees you she's gonna run. Then we lose. Stay low and only act if they know they have her trapped." Victor ordered wondering who those poor individuals were that they were hunting down.

"We have something on the other two." Carls informed Victor.

"What is it?" Victor asked.

"They boarded a plane to Mexico City this morning at 6:25 sir. They should be landing in Mexico City in less than an hour sir." Carls explained.

"So they're in Mexico already?" Victor yelled. He knew that now that Max and Logan were in Mexico there wasn't much Manticore could do to capture them. So he figured he could yell a little to demonstrate that he wasn't okay with it. "Why do we just hear about that now? They are in fucking Mexico already. What do you suggest went wrong?" Victor said and stepped closer to Carls.

"Sir. I'm sorry sir. We found them too late. By the time we detected them they were already long gone and on their way to Mexico sir." Carls explained, sounding a little defensive – it was Victor who told them to check the flights to Vancouver last.

"Alright. There's nothing much we can do now. Do we have any troops down there?" Victor asked, not sure how far Manticore jurisdiction went.

"No sir. But on the border to Mexico sir." Carls answered hectically typing away on his keyboard.

"Not good enough. They will never make it on time. Let me call Mexico City airport police to see if they can arrest them and keep them until our guys get there. Get in touch with them and make sure they leave as soon as they have packed their equipment." Victor said moving to his desk to make a call he knew would get Max and Logan into trouble. But he figured that they could manage to get away from the airport police and lay low. He couldn't let that one slide or Renfro would get even more suspicious than she already was.

"Yes sir." Carls replied and got on the phone to alert the troops near the Mexican border.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

"I think I got something." Syl said and gestured for Dix, Jesse and Luke to come look at her screen. "Here." She said and pointed to the paragraph in question. They all were silent for a second and quickly read the text.

"Well. That's pretty much the same that Victor told us. Who wrote the report?" Jesse asked.

"Lemme scroll down." Syl said and moved back to the keyboard. "Surprise, surprise. Director Renfro."

"Go figure. Now what? What do we do with that proof?" Jesse asked and looked at the others.

"Lydecker." Dix and Syl said in unison.

"Lydecker?" Everybody who cluttered around the monitor asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Who has more knowledge and more connections? Who wants to bring down Manticore and Renfro as much as we do?" Syl challenged.

"Lydecker." They all said in unison now.

"How do we contact him?" Luke asked.

"I know that Logan had contact with Lydecker. I'm sure we find something on his computer. Now that we have the passwords we should be able to track him down." Dix said and moved over to Logan's computer.

**Mexico City****, Airport:**

"…till the plane has arrived at its final position. We hope you have enjoyed your flight and hope to see you again. Enjoy your stay in Mexico." The flight attendant announced while the plane descended.

After sitting nervously in their seats for over an hour, the plane finally started its landing to Mexico airport. It was only a 10 hour flight but to Logan it seemed like a life time. One more landing. One more time getting the luggage. One more time wondering if Max would make it. But he could worry about this when the time was there.

Right now he had enough to do to make his way out of the plane and to the baggage claim to pick up his bags. Then he only had to pass the ID-control and he would be there. In Mexico. He only hoped that he would have Max there with him. Were she belonged.

He stood at the baggage claim waiting for it to start spitting out bags. He spotted Max on the other side of the claim and when she looked over at him he gave her a warm and reassuring smile. Once they were outside they could climb in a cab together and drive to a nearby motel. Once they were outside there was no reason to pretend not to know each other.

The baggage claim started to bring in the first bags and Logan stepped closer to it, keeping an eye on Max. He could see that she had switched into Manticore mode, registering every movement around her. On alert.

He saw his bag coming and stepped even closer to the claim, elevating his weight to be able to pick up the bag without losing his balance and tumbling to the floor. He was just about to lean down waiting to fetch his bag, when heard Max shout.

"Logan." She yelled having noticed the 10 police men that made their way towards their claim.

Logan looked up and searched for Max. He panicked for a minute because he couldn't see her anywhere. Then he saw her slowly making her way towards an emergency exit while waiting for his eyes to find hers.

When she finally saw him looking at her she gestured with her head for him to follow in her direction. Logan quickly glanced around and saw the police force approach. Slowly, without a care in the world he made his way in Max's direction. The policemen uncoordinatedly combed through the passengers, apparently not sure exactly what they looked like. Logan figured they only had a picture of Max, since they had obviously been sent by Manticore. So that should give them time. But there was no way they could make it through the passport check, since the police had probably gotten their names from the passenger list.

Max continued towards the emergency exit, keeping an eye on the policemen and one on Logan. If she were alone she would have just run them over and be gone. But she was with Logan – a quiet immobile Logan. So she had to do it the 'normal' way. She looked again at Logan and saw the beads of sweat on his forehead. She didn't know if it was the physical exertion or because he was nervous, but she willed him to move faster. Willed him to have him close, to be able to protect him.

Logan saw the worry in Max' face and pushed himself harder. His leg hurt like hell but he wanted to get over to her as quick as possible. He raised his right hand to wipe away the sweat on his face and before he knew it, he bumped into a police man who was searching the crowd for their suspect.

"Whoa. I'm sorry." Logan said trying not to panic. Max eyes widened in shock as she saw Logan come face to face with the cop.

"You okay sir?" The police man asked with a heavy accent and helped to steady Logan.

"Yeah. Thanks." Logan said and made an attempt to move further when the police man stopped him.

"Do you need some help sir?" He asked and Logan was relieved that he didn't point a gun at him.

"Yeah. Thanks. I just need to sit down for a little after the long flight. I'm alright. But thanks." Logan said and turned around again moving towards Max. This time the police man let him go and continued his search. Both Max and Logan breathed in relief. _That was close,_ they both thought.

Logan took this as a motivation to move even faster and within 2 minutes he finally reached Max.

"I guess we have company." Logan joked once he was close enough to her.

"Yeah. We need to get out of here. We won't make it through the passport check." Max replied moving closer to the emergency exit.

"What's your plan?" Logan asked.

"Wait here. I'll go over to the bathroom. Once you see smoke coming out from under the door you activate the fire alarm. If necessary scream 'fire' first. We need a mass panic here. As soon as everybody is freaking out, you open the emergency exit and leave the door. Take your money from the wallet and leave the rest behind. They can't arrest you for dropping your passport while escaping a fire. I will follow as soon as everybody is streaming out. Okay?" Max said, formulating the plan as she spoke.

Logan didn't like to separate from her but knew it was the only option. He stepped closer to her and kissed her passionately, leaving no doubt that he intended to carry out their plan to live happily ever after.

"It's gonna be okay Logan. Trust me. I'll meet you outside. Try to make it to the cabs. I'll join you in no time." Max said and before Logan could answer she planted her lips on his for a desperate kiss. They both knew that this could be the last kiss they would share. But they pushed that awful thought aside.

Logan grabbed Max's face with both hands, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "Just go."

Without another word Max gave him one last kiss, then left towards the bathroom without turning around.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"Sir. The troops at Logan airport are in place. The plane is arriving in 30 minutes. Sir. The plane in Mexico has landed and we forwarded a picture of 452 for the policemen to identify her. They search right now." Thomas informed Victor.

"Good. So we're all set. All we can do is wait." He said dismissing Thomas with a nod and walking to director Renfro's door. He knocked and a few seconds later the sliding doors opened. He stepped in, looking more confident than he felt.

"Ma'am. We have two pairs of suspects. One in Boston and one in Mexico City. Search teams are already located at Logan airport – if it's 452 there's no chance for her to get out. Teams are on their way to Mexico City but we have airport security and Mexico City police search the arrival area for 452. Ma'am." Victor reported.

"Where do you think she is?" Renfro asked confused a little about the mixed signals she received from Victor. He seemed suspicious before but now he did everything he could to capture her. But she still was unimpressed and suspicious. Maybe he was playing her too.

"From the evidence we have I believe she's in Boston. But considering your hunch that she is playing us we might be better off concentrating on Mexico, ma'am." Victor said hoping he wouldn't endanger Max and Logan trying to out-logic Renfro.

"Maybe. But maybe that's what she wants us to think. Go for Boston." Renfro said taking Victors answer for a way to make her call off the search efforts at Logan airport.

"Yes ma'am." Victor said and turned to leave. _Better not risk and question her order or she might be realizing that I'm trying to mislead her._ Victor thought and stepped back outside observing the soldiers coordinating to capture 452 at Logan airport.

**Mexico City****Airport**

Max had been gone for almost 10 minutes and Logan grew impatient. He tried not to imagine what could have happened to her, and failed miserably. Then he saw it. A thick layer of smoke fought its way through the crack of the bathroom door. He fought the urge to yell fire just now and waited for the smoke escape more into the baggage claim area.

He only had to wait 3 minutes before the first person started to shout 'FIRE, FIRE'. He reacted immediately and activated the fire alarm. The shrill sound of the sirens filled the area and people started to run aimlessly and screaming through the windowless hangar to find a way out.

5 minutes later the mass panic that Max had hoped for broke out and people stormed to the nearest exit doors. Logan took one last look at the bathroom door, knowing that the smoke wouldn't harm Max, but sill worried, and finally opened the emergency exit and stepped outside followed by about 50 other screaming and panicking people.

The airport personnel apparently weren't trained properly for that kind of emergency. Everybody from security to cop to customs personnel left their positions to help everybody out of the area. Logan used that time and, without being noticed, walked as quickly as he could towards the back entrance of the main building, where the restaurants and shops were located. He finally reached the door and opened it. As he suspected the alarm went off and he found himself in the kitchen of the steakhouse restaurant.

"What the fuck." The guy on the grill yelled at Logan as he entered the kitchen.

"There's a fire in baggage claim area. Everybody is out there trying to get away. I'm sure there's gonna be a bunch of people coming through here." Logan said and walked towards the exit.

"A fire? Hey Gonzales. Go outside and check." The grill master said, too shocked that there was a fire at the airport to pay a lot of attention to Logan who had already made his way outside.

Slowly, as not to appear suspicious he made his way through the arrival area and outside to where the buses and cabs were waiting. He moved to sit down on a bench between the exit and the cab stand and settled in to wait for Max.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

"The plane landed in Mexico City about half an hour ago." Luke informed the transgenics who were waiting in the headquarters. Momentarily they forgot what they were doing and a round of cheers and applause filled the room.

"That's good news. Let's make sure they can make it home again." Syl said and urged Dix to keep on working.

"Stop pushing me Syl. I'm almost there. I left messages for Lydecker to contact us on every e-mail address I found. I'm sure he's gonna get back to us once he reads them." Dix said and kept on typing.

"We need a phone number." Syl said, not sure if those e-mail addresses were still current.

'INCOMING MAIL' came the automated voice from Logan's computer signaling new messages. Dix stopped what he was doing immediately and opened the mail.

'MEET ME IN 2 HOURS ON THE SPACE NEEDLE. L.' Was all it said, but it was enough. It was Lydecker and he seemed to be in Seattle. Go figure. He was never too far away from the action.

"I'll go." Syl said and moved over to Luke's computer. "Print out what we have."

"I come with you." Jesse said.

"No. Lydecker knows me. He'll get suspicious if someone else comes. I go alone." Syl said and walked over to the printer to grab the papers that proofed that Renfro was up to something really bad.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"We have a problem sir." Thomas said approaching Victor's desk.

"What is it?" Victor asked.

"There's a fire in the baggage claim area in Mexico. The police are busy evacuating all the passengers and apparently have lost track of who got out and who didn't." Thomas explained.

"Damn. That can't be a coincidence. Either it's them or they're trying to draw our attention from Boston airport." Victor thought out loud.

"What do we do sir?" Thomas asked clearly at a loss.

"We can't do anything right now in Mexico. Let's hope they'll still be able to perform the passport check. If not then we have to wait till the troops arrive to search the area. Let's focus on Boston for now. They'll be landing in 20 minutes." Victor said and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Yes sir." Victor said and moved back to his desk.

**Mexico City****Airport**

"Care to share a cab sir? I'm kinda low on cash." Max said as she approached Logan from behind.

Logan smiled brightly. She had made it. He had made it. They had made it. He couldn't be happier.

"That depends on miss. What do I get if I pay for the cab?" Logan asked matching her playful tone, as inappropriate it might be in their situation.

"Hmmm. Let's see." Max said and sat down next to Logan on the bench. "How about I let you pay for the hotel room too and I'll rock your world for as long as you can come?"

"Mmmmm. Sounds good. But isn't that illegal?" Logan replied pretending to think about what to do about that.

"No it's not." Max said quickly.

"Why is that?" Logan asked just as quick.

"Because it's only illegal if the woman you take with you to your room does what you ask her to. But I had 10 hours to imagine what I want to do with you. And I intend to do all that and more. So technically I would have to pay you. Basically it's a zero-sum game." Max said and nudged Logan.

"Okay. Now that it's clear shall we go?" Logan said and got up.

"Might as well." Max replied and followed Logan to the cab, not knowing if Logan knew where to go but not caring at all.

**Warehouse close to ****Seattle**

"Sir. Flight 625 is landing right now in Boston. All troops are in position. Sir." Thomas informed Victor.

"Good. Everybody knows what to do. Keep communicating." Victor said in the intercom and waited for all the troop leaders to confirm their position.

"What's with Mexico?" Victor asked after all the Boston troops had come in.

"Turned out to be a fire in the bathroom. Nothing serious. Everybody returned to the baggage claim area and are in the process to pick up their luggage. We know that some passengers panicked and ran out without picking up their luggage and without passing the passport check. Sir." Thomas explained.

"When are the troops arriving there?" Victor asked hoping Max and Logan were among the once who got out.

"About an hour and a half sir." Thomas replied.

"Well. Not much we can do till then. Let's focus on Boston." Victor said and nobody questioned his order as there was clearly nothing they could do in that moment.

**Logan****Airport**

"The first passengers are exiting the plane right now." Bradly, the soldier – dressed in civilian clothes – closest to the arriving area reported.

"If you identify 452 and she is within your reach grab, her. If you don't then let her get out and the other troopers will capture her in customs or the passport check." Victor ordered and hoped to drag this capture out as long as he possibly could. If they arrested the two passengers in question they would see right away that it wasn't 452, therefore proving that it was indeed Max and Logan in Mexico City.

After 20 minutes all the passengers had left the plane. 452 hadn't been identified, so the soldiers joined the ones outside and hoped the troopers at customs or at passport check would capture her.

**Space Needle:**

"Where did you get this?" Lydecker asked Syl after reading the papers she had handed him.

"We hacked into Manticore files after they opened the hunt on Max." Syl said.

"Renfro is dead." Lydecker remarked.

"Nope. I heard her on the phone. She's up and doing evil. What can we do about that Deck?" Syl asked and stepped closer to Lydecker.

"Don't know yet. Let me check some contacts and I'll get back to you." Lydecker said and with a quick nod left.

"Great. Good ol' Deck." Syl said and waited a few minutes before heading back home.

**Logan****Airport**

"Can you send us their picture?" Victor asked the security officer who had the suspects standing in front of him tightly hand-cuffed.

"Give me a second." The officer said, took the pictures and entered the e-mail address to send the pictures to Victor.

The pictures slowly showed up on their screen and everybody in the room could see that it wasn't 452. Not even one of her affiliates.

"Damn. That's not her." Victor said and angrily cut the connection. "Let's focus on Mexico. What have we got there?"

"Nothing so far. People are still picking up their luggage and haven't moved to the passport check. But things are under control again. If they are still there we'll find them sir." Thomas said sounding more convince than he actually was.

"Yeah. Let's see." Victor said and moved over to his desk. He tried to look like he was about to explode because the Logan airport number went sideward, when in fact he was about to burst from happiness because he knew Max and Logan had made it and Renfro wouldn't be able to follow up on her evil plan.

**La Hacienda Hotel:**

Max opened the door and entered their room with Logan trailing after her. By the time he closed and locked the door, Max was already in the bathroom, throwing her blond wig on the floor and starting to wash the make up off of her face. That done she kicked off her uncomfortable shoes and strolled back out to see Logan spread out on the bed.

"You already asleep? I was hoping you would join me in the shower." Max said and lay down next to him.

"Hey look who got de-blonded." Logan said and drew her close to him. Max snuggled up to him and enjoyed just being close to him, finally being able touch him again. "Hate to break this cuddly moment but I really need to take a shower." Max said, detangling from him.

"I'll be back before you know it." Max said gave him a quick kiss and hurried to the bathroom so she could hurry back to bed and to Logan.

"Hey. Thought you wanted me to join you. Help me undress and get up at least." Logan yelled after her.

"Undress you and get you up? I thought that was kinda the same thing." Max said, emerging naked from the bathroom. Logan swallowed hard, the combination of time spent apart, what she said and what she looked like in all her naked glory turning him on faster than ever before.

"Lift your hips," she said after unbuckling his pants. He did as he was told and she rid him of his pants, leaving him naked from the waist down. "Do I have to do all the work?" Max asked, starting to work on his button down shirt while he just lay there and stared at her.

"I paid for the room." Logan said and lifted up so Max could slide the shirt off of him.

"I don't have to carry you to the shower, now do I?" Max said after finishing undressing him.

"No. But let's make it a quick shower. My leg really needs some rest. And so do I." Logan said and brought some seriousness into their conversation.

"No problem. Let's go." Max said and almost dragged him to the shower.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

Syl strolled in and climbed the stairs to the command center. All eyes were on her, expecting to hear how her meeting with Lydecker went.

"So?" Dix asked after Syl had sat down.

"Nothing. It's Lydecker we're talking about. Did you really expect I'd come back with all the answers?" Syl said still annoyed from her meeting with Deck.

"So he's Mr. Mysterious again?" Jesse asked, having had his own experiences with Lydecker back at Manticore.

"Yep. He says he'll get back to us once he looked over the files." Syl explained and everybody got back to what they were doing. Disappointed but not surprised.

"Anybody seen Alec?" Jesse asked not having anything to do now and feeling like having a beer and talk shit with his friend.

"No. Haven't seen him in the last few hours." Dix answered.

"Fine then." Jesse said and shrugged his shoulders. "You up for a beer Syl?"

"Sure. Been looking forward to one since we got here." Syl said and followed him to the makeshift bar in the next building.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"Sir. All passengers from the baggage claim have gone through the passport check. The ones who left when the fire broke out came back and retrieved their bags. All of them except Jack Mellencamp and Diane Couger. Sir. I think we found them." Thomas reported.

"Great. So they're gone and are somewhere in Mexico City. They could be anywhere. I think we have a problem." Victor said but what he really meant to say was that he might have a problem. Renfro had made it clear what would happen to him if he didn't capture 452.

"When will the troopers arrive in Mexico City?" Victor asked.

"About three hours sir." Thomas answered.

"Well. There's nothing we can do now. I'm gonna go and have a word with 452's roommate. Maybe 452 has already contacted her. Or maybe she will soon. You can reach me on my cell phone." Victor said and put on his jacket.

"Sir. Where should the troops start once they arrive in Mexico City sir?" Thomas asked not sure what to do and not in the mood to consult Renfro.

"Start at the airport. See if anyone has seen them. Then check public transportation. Busses, trains, cabs. Check the rental car booths. Also check with security to see if any stolen cars have been reported. Then we go from there. Checking hotels and motels. See if you can get more troops down there as soon as possible." Victor said and left.

**La Hacienda Hotel:**

"So how long do we stay here?" Max asked after cuddling up next to Logan in bed after they had finished their quick shower.

"Let's just grab a couple of hours of sleep and then we can go pick up the car one of my informant's friends has organized." Logan explained drawing her closer.

"You really have everything under control don't you?" Max said and couldn't hold back the rush of love that overcame her. She hugged him tightly and placed little kisses on his chest.

"I love you Logan." Max said and was surprised by how easy those words came out. Surprised at how good and how right it felt to say it.

"I love you too Max." Logan mumbled as he drifted off to sleep. Exhausted but incredibly happy.

**Cindy's crib:**

After an awful day at work Cindy finally was home, had a shower and was getting ready for a night at Crash with Alec.

"Hello. Cindy?" Victor yelled as he opened the door and carefully walked inside.

"Not you again." Cindy replied and walked out of her bedroom to send Victor away.

"Oh I feel so welcome." Victor said and closed the front door, glad that Cindy was home.

"Maybe because you ain't welcome here." Cindy stated and walked closer to him. "Look. Original Cindy appreciates you helping her boo. But that don't mean you can come in here and spoil all the fun Original Cindy has planned." She said still not moving an inch back to let him come even further into the room.

"Well. Sorry. But your friends have made it to Mexico alright. But we already know that. Troops are on their way there to look for them. And even though Mexico City is big it isn't wise for them to stay there. Tell them that when they contact you or Terminal City." Victor told her.

"Fine. Original Cindy will do that. Now if you'll excuse me, this girl is 'bout to go out and have some fun." Cindy said and was about to show him out when he stopped her.

"There's one more thing." He said and could see how annoyed she was by that. "I told Renfro that the reason why I didn't kill you the last time was so I could come back and get more information out of you. See if Max had contacted you or stay here and wait till she does." Victor told her.

"Here goes another night of fun." Cindy said and started to walk towards the couch. "So what do you wanna do? Sit here and wait till the phone rings?"

"I don't know yet. I guess I will be hanging around here till I've figured out what to tell Renfro." Victor said and sat down next to her.

"Great. Just great." Cindy said and got up from the couch. "Might as well slip into something more comfortable."

"Knock, knock." Syl and Jesse yelled and opened the door.

"Great. Now we're having a party." Cindy said and walked past them to her bedroom to get changed.

"What's with her?" Syl said to Jesse, not noticing Victor sitting on the couch.

"Guess that has something to do with me." Victor said and got up from the couch to greet them.

"Oh. Hey. Lemme guess. You're here to grill 452's roommate some more?" Syl said to Victor.

"Something like that. Renfro knows that they are in Mexico and figures that they would contact Cindy. Troops are already on their way, but I wouldn't worry too much. Mexico City is huge and everybody who wants to stay off the radar can do that." Victor explained while sitting back down on the couch.

"So what are you gonna do?" Jesse asked Victor.

"He's hanging 'round Original Cindy's crib till his light bulb goes off." Cindy said and joined the others on the couch, not in the mood to play the host again and offer drinks.

"Ever thought about skipping the country yourself?" Syl asked him.

"Of course. But I want to finish my job here first." Victor answered. "Quitting my job is not exactly an option. You either leave your position in a body bag or not at all. As soon as I know Renfro's plan has been stopped, then I'm on my way to Australia. I've always wanted my own farm there. Far away from civilization. And from Manticore."

"Technically your job here is done Victor." Syl told him. "Max and Logan are safe and as soon as they contact us we tell them to leave Mexico City. We have contacted Colonel Lydecker – he will take care of Renfro. Don't get me wrong. We all hate him too. But if there is one guy to stop Renfro it's him." Syl continued.

"I have to agree with Syl." Jesse commented. "You risk your life if you go back there. Again with no answers and no dead Original Cindy. If Renfro gets only a little suspicious you're dead." Jesse told Victor.

"If I don't come back she knows for sure that it was me who played her and helped Max escape." Victor argued not agreeing to just give up and leave.

"What do you care? You'll be on your farm in Australia. Max and Logan will be somewhere in Central America playing mom and dad. Lydecker and everybody in Terminal City will do everything to stop Renfro." Syl explained. "So again, what do you care?"

"Well. I guess you're right." Victor said agreeing that what Syl and Jesse said made sense. There was nothing left for him to do.

"We are." Syl said and got up from the couch. "I'll call Dix and have him arrange everything to get you out of the country."

"So you have any family or a squeeze here suga?" Cindy asked after Syl left to call Terminal City.

"Nope. Free as a bird." Victor said and smiled as he realized that for the first time in his life he would be free.

"You will be suga. You will be." Cindy said, feeling strangely happy for this guy who had ruined all the fun nights she had planned lately.

**La Hacienda Hotel:**

"Rise and shine sweety." Max said softly shaking Logan's shoulder. After a few hours of sleep she had woken up because she was hungry. So she decided that it was about time for them to leave and grab some food on their way to the car.

"What time is it?" Logan groaned and turned over, not ready to get up yet.

"Past midnight." She said and sat down on the edge of the bed gently stroking his back. He looked really tired, but she had a bad feeling about staying there any longer. The security guards were definitely looking for her at the airport. That meant Renfro knew they were close. The sooner they would leave the safer she would feel.

"Five more minutes." Logan said, sounding like a little boy who didn't feel like going to school.

"We're hungry." Max said and gently touched her still flat belly.

The WE in her statement made Logan open his eyes and roll onto his back to look at her. She wore the slutty clothes from the plane, as they had left their bags behind. But she had her hair out and it fell naturally over her shoulders. She wasn't wearing any make-up and to Logan she never looked more angelic than at this moment. Sitting there looking down on him with so much love in her eyes and a glow in her face that he figured only an expectant mother could have.

"Well in that case." He said and sat up and put his hand over the one that rested on Max's belly. "Don't want my babies to starve."

"Good. So get going." Max said, giving him a quick kiss and moving off the bed to allow him to get up and move to the bathroom.

Only ten minutes later he came back out. Dressed, shaved and looking extremely delicious. Max got off the bed where she was waiting for him and moved closer to him. She lifted one hand to touch his cheek, without the scruff for the first time since she had known him. Her other hand circled around his waist.

"You like it?" Logan asked when she didn't speak.

"I love it." Max replied and leaned in for a passionate kiss, testing how it felt without the beard.

Reluctantly she broke the kiss after a minute. "As good as this is Logan, we should get going."

"You guys are hungry. I remember. Let's go then." Logan said and slowly made his way out of the hotel room.

"Aren't we gonna check out?" Max asked him when she saw him walking towards the main road instead of the reception.

"We only checked in a couple of hours ago. It would look suspicious if we checked out again so soon." Logan explained and having reached the busy main road, hailed a cab.

"How long till we're at your friend's place?" Max asked after Logan gave the cab driver the address.

"Only about 10 minutes. We pick up the car and new papers and then we can go grab something to eat. I only hope the car is an automatic or I won't be able to drive it." Logan said and nervously fiddled with his cane.

"If not then I'll drive. Don't worry 'bout it." Max told him and reached out to hold his hand. Only a few more hours and they would be out of Mexico City and heading for Acapulco. She had never been there but from what Logan had told her it was close to paradise. But with Logan on her side anywhere they went would be like paradise to her.

**Original Cindy's crib:**

"Dix is taking care of it. This time tomorrow you'll be close to landing in Australia." Syl said as she came in after calling Terminal City.

"So I'm leaving today?" Victor asked in shock. He hadn't expected that things would move so quickly.

"The sooner the better. You can contact us from a secure line and we'll keep you updated on the Renfro problem." Syl said and sat back down.

"Jesse. Can you drive him to Terminal City?" Syl asked.

"Sure." Jesse asked and got up.

"We have to stop by a bank. I need to get my money. Other than that there's nothing I need." Victor said and got up aswell.

"Guess that's goodbye." Original Cindy said and got up moving closer to Victor. He held out his hand but Cindy pushed it aside and held her arms open for a hug.

"Bye Cindy. You take care. Feel free to visit me on my farm whenever you want to." Victor said and hugged her close. Then he turned to Syl and, without even trying to shake her hand, evolved her in a tight hug. "You take care of Cindy alright. Renfro knows where she lives and will come after her." He whispered in her ear.

"Got it covered. Thanks for your help. Take care of yourself. We'll keep you updated." Syl said and ended the hug.

"Bye." Victor said, then quickly turned around and followed Jesse to his motorcycle.

"It might sound strange, but Original Cindy will miss that beefhead." Cindy said and sniffed a little, trying to hide the tear that was rolling down her cheek.

"Oh Cindy. I knew you had a soft spot." Syl teased and walked over to hug her. Then it was time to get serious again.

"Ahm Cindy." Syl started carefully, knowing that what she had to say would end up in an argument.

"What?" Cindy asked sensing that something was about to come that she didn't like.

"You need to pack some stuff and come with us to Terminal City. You're not safe here. Renfro sent Victor here to get some answers from you. If he doesn't come back she'll send someone else. And I'm sure it won't be such a sensitive guy as Victor was." Syl said trying her best to convince Cindy and to avoid an argument.

"I guess you're right." Cindy said not even trying to argue. Syl was right and even though Cindy hated to move to Terminal City she agreed that it was saver there. Max would want her to do it. Would want her to trust her family. And as Max was her family too Cindy obliged and started to pack some stuff to spend the next few weeks in Terminal City. Or however long it would take to end this Renfro situation.

**Guillermo's Taco House:**

"Aren't you hungry?" Max said after finishing her third soft shell taco in record time.

"I'm not exactly used to this kind of food. Plus the water they use for washing the lettuce and the tomatoes in the taco can make a normal human's stomach very sick. Believe me. I've had food poisoning in Mexico before. Not an experience I want to repeat." Logan said, munching on some fries while trying to fish the ice cubes out of his coke.

"Suit yourself. I never had a problem with food. Plus I'm pregnant and will have to throw up frequently very soon anyway." Max said while grabbing her fourth taco.

"Alright. Then eat up so we can get moving. We can drive through the nights and sleep during the days." Logan said finishing his fries.

"How long till we're there?" Max asked almost done with her meal.

"I don't know. Two, maybe three nights." Logan said and got up.

"If you drive during the night and I during the day, then we can make it in 30 hours." Max suggested.

"We have time Max. We don't need to rush." Logan explained, getting in the car and starting the engine.

"I just want to get there as soon as we can. I hate being on the run." Max said, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Whatever you want. I'll drive tonight. You'd better climb in the back and get some sleep." Logan said and nodded towards the back of the car.

"Great. But let me stay here for a while longer. I'm not really tired right now and when do I get a chance to see Mexico City again." Max said and busied herself looking out of the window. Logan said nothing, turned on the radio and drove on.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"The troops have arrived at Mexico airport, sir." A soldier informed Thomas.

"Good. Adjust the frequency on the intercoms so they'll be able to hear me." Thomas ordered and wondered briefly if he should call Victor. He hadn't heard from him for a while, but figured he would be busy beating information out of 452's roommate.

"Troopers. You hear me?" Thomas said into the intercom.

"Yes sir." Came the reply.

"Split up. Trooper 1 check the arrival area. Restaurants etc. Trooper 2 you check the buses, trains and cabs. Trooper 3 check the rental car companies. Troopers 5, 6 and 7 check with passengers and airport personnel if they have seen 452. Then report back immediately. Over." Thomas ordered and turned off the intercom.

"Give me a list with all motels and hotels that are close by." Thomas ordered the soldiers in the warehouse. _This is gonna take a few hours._ He thought and hoped Victor would be back then to help him coordinate the troopers and deal with director Renfro.

**Terminal****City**

"Welcome to your new crib." Syl said after opening a door in the sleeping quarters.

"Nice. Very, uhm, spartanic. But nice." Cindy said after taking in the room's interior. A cot with a small pillow and an old scratchy looking blanket. A chair, no table and a drawer that had seen better times.

"It's Max's crib." Syl said. "She wasn't really there a lot. She spent most nights with Logan."

"Okay." Cindy said still less than pleased with her new digs. "Original Cindy would say she'd unpack and get settled in. But that won't take too long. So show me where you guys hang out here." She said, dropped her bag and followed Syl to the headquarters.

**5 hours later:**

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

"Sir. No sign of 452." The last trooper reported in.

"Damn." Thomas cursed under his breath. _What the fuck am I supposed to do now? And where the hell is Victor?_ He thought as he looked at the huge list of hotels and motels in the area of Mexico City.

"Okay. We start checking the hotels and motels in the area. Adjust your intercoms to the frequencies 1 to 7. I'll hand you over to your individual handlers." Thomas said and the soldiers that were supposed to coordinate a team switched on their intercoms and started to direct their teams to the first 7 motels in the airport area.

Pleased that he had the situation under control, Thomas started to check out the possibilities where 452 could have gone when a raspy voice interrupted him.

"I see you have everything under control." Renfro rasped.

Thomas jumped up from his chair and stood at attention. "Yes Ma'am. We just started to search the hotels ma'am."

"Check in with Victor. See if he has something." Renfro ordered already sensing that something was wrong with Victor staying away for so long without checking in. He had left at 2000 hours and now it was 0700 the next morning.

"Yes ma'am." Thomas said and quickly dialed Victor's cell phone number. After only a few seconds his mailbox picked up.

"It's his mailbox ma'am." Thomas explained and looked expectantly at Renfro, not knowing whether to leave a message or not.

"Tell him to check in immediately." Renfro ordered and moved back to her chambers.

**Mexico**

Max stirred on the backseat as the bright sunlight shone on her face. She blinked a couple of times then sat up and checked her watch.

"Jesus Logan. Why didn't you wake me? It's broad daylight. My turn to drive." Max almost whined from the backseat.

"You don't sleep a lot. So I figured now that you are I'd let you sleep." Logan said and turned around.

"Where are we anyway?" Max asked as she climbed back on the passengers seat.

"We left Cuernavaca about 20 minutes ago." Logan explained and looked for the next exit so they could switch seats. He was really tired and could use some rest.

"I don't know where that is but I guess that's good. Let's switch so you can stretch out in the back for a few hours." Max said. She would also be glad to use the restrooms once they were at the exit. Some food and some water wouldn't hurt either.

"Yeah. I'm pretty spent. Just follow the 95. It leads us straight to Acapulco." Logan said after pulling off the road.

"I'm gonna jump to the ladiesroom. Why don't you get us some food?" Max said and jumped out of the car once Logan had turned off the engine.

"Ladiesroom." Logan laughed at her use of words. "Must be the hormones."

**Terminal City Headquarters:**

"I need some manpower." Lydecker's voice echoed through the headquarters.

All heads turned and the room fell into silence while the atmosphere turned icy.

"How did you get in?" Syl asked, getting up and leaning against the railing, looking down at him.

"I taught you everything you know." Lydecker replied in that arrogant voice of his.

"I doubt that." Syl fired back then turned all business. "What's your plan? What do you need manpower for?"

"We're gonna handle this situation the old fashioned way. How many men are located in that warehouse?" Lydecker said, keeping his answers short and simple.

"About 10 soldiers and Renfro. No guards according to Victor. But video surveillance." Syl replied just as curtly.

"10?" Lydecker asked incredulously. "Then why did you come to me?"

"Because killing those 10 soldiers and Renfro won't solve the problem. We don't know who else is involved." Syl answered.

"This is a secret project. It was cancelled by Manticore after our first raid. I don't think a lot of officials are involved. And if so they won't make a big fuss about it. Renfro acted on her own. No one will take her side." Lydecker replied, sounding pretty sure of himself.

"If you say so. Lets get a team together." Syl said and turned to Jesse. "Where the hell is Alec when you need him?"

"I don't know. But we don't have time for that. I'll get some guys together." Jesse said and left in search for some eager volunteers.

"Mole. You go and get the equipment." Syl said and with a quick nod Mole left to go to the warehouse where they kept their guns and ammunition.

**5 hours later**

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

Thomas was starting to get nervous. And not to mention frustrated. The troopers had checked about 35 motels already. They had a lot more to go and they didn't even know which direction to move in. Nobody had seen them. Not even anyone who looked similar to them. They were wasting precious time and he knew Renfro was growing impatient. She waited for results and as Victor hadn't come back or even checked in it was Thomas' head she would go after.

"Sir. The teams have finished searching the next 7 motels." A soldier reported and waited for an order on how to go on.

"Send them to the next 7 motels." Thomas ordered, not sure if it still made sense to look for them. _They are probably not even in __Mexico City__ anymore,_ he thought, but couldn't think of another way to try and catch them. He just hoped Renfro wouldn't show up again any time soon.

**Outside of the Warehouse:**

"Are you ready? You know what to do?" Lydecker asked his 'soldiers' as they crept closer to the warehouse.

"Yes. Ready." Came the reply from all of them. Jesse had assembled an army of 8 including him and Syl. Mole had equipped them with machine guns and nightvision goggles – for those who needed them.

"Move in quickly. They have surveillance cameras on the building. We have to be there and bust in before they even know someone is coming." Lydecker said and checked the warehouse one last time for guards.

"Wait." Syl said and crept closer to Lydecker. "We can't just bust in there and kill everybody in cold blood. That's not the way we handle things."

"What do you wanna do instead Syl? Send them home and tell them to forget everything they have seen and done in the past days?" Lydecker replied sarcastically totally disappointed that one of his 'kids' despised murder.

"No. We could just knock 'em unconscious. If the Manticore officials are really trying to keep this secret side-project under wraps as you said, then they will do what they have to do to stop them from spilling anything." Syl reasoned and even Lydecker couldn't argue with her logic. He still found it easier and much more practical to just bust in there and kill them all, but if that's the way Syl intended to handle this then so be it.

"Okay. You heard her. Don't try to kill them all." Lydecker said half heartedly, but the Terminal City team had heard Syl and was relieved that they weren't forced to commit murder. At least not in cold blood.

**Mexico**

After hours Max was still driving and, thanks to the lack of traffic and her quick reflexes, could drive on top speed. Once in a while she would see another car but passed it quickly, pushing the car to its limits.

Logan, who had been peacefully sleeping on the backseat for the past 6 hours, slowly woke up and began to sit up. He blinked a couple of times and then reached for his glasses, still not fully awake.

As soon as he had put on his glasses though he became wide awake and his eyes widened and his hands dug into the seat.

"MAX!" He yelled from the backseat.

"Oh hey sleepyhead." Max said, turning around slightly to give him a quick smile before focusing on the road again.

"Would you slow down Max? You're gonna kill us." Logan pleaded; still terrified at the speed she was driving.

"Relax baby. I'm supergirl remember?" Max said, but had already slowed down a bit after seeing Logan's panicked face in the mirror.

"You are pregnant supergirl who has been driving for the past 6 hours." Logan corrected her but was relieved as he noticed that she was already driving slower. Still fast, but not as fast as a speeding bullet anymore.

"I just can't wait to get there." Max said and smiled as she caught his eyes in the mirror.

"I know. I just want us to actually get there." Logan teased and relaxed a little more.

"Why don't we grab a bite to eat and then we'll switch again. It's my turn." Logan suggested and Max eagerly accepted.

"Food sounds great." She said and looked for the nearest exit.

**Outside the Warehouse:**

"Okay move in." Lydecker said and everybody got moving crawling closer to the warehouse.

Syl and Jesse were leading the team. The six other TC residents crawled behind them, gun drawn and ready for some action. Lydecker stayed behind, not wanting to be in the line of fire just now.

Syl heard the surveillance camera move and gestured for everybody to crawl quicker. Once they were at the entrance to the warehouse they got up and with their backs pressed flat against the wall. They waited a minute to see if someone would storm out, but it seemed that nobody knew of their presence. _Always good to have the moment of surprise on your side, _Syl thought and looked at her fellow team-members to confirm that they were ready.

4 of the team stood on the left side of the door and 4 of them on the right side. They knew that if they would storm inside there was no way to avoid using their guns and killing them all. If they would battle them outside they could take one after the other as he left the door.

Syl extended a hand and, as if she was doing the most natural and logical thing in the world, knocked on the door. A few seconds later they heard footsteps approaching. Syl listened closely and could make out two pairs of footsteps come to welcome them. She signaled to the others that two guys would approach and everybody got in fighting stances.

The door flew open two soldiers dressed in black stood in the doorway. Before they could manage to raise their guns Syl grabbed one and Jesse grabbed one and dragged them out and pushed them over so the others could deal with them and knock them out.

It only took a few seconds until 3 more soldiers came running out, their gun already drawn and shooting at the intruders. Dodging the bullets quickly, those 3 soldiers soon joined the previous two unconscious on the floor. 5 down. 5 to go.

They knew that the other 5 Manticore soldiers wouldn't be stupid enough to storm out and suffer the same fate as the others. So Syl and Jesse opened fire and shot repeatedly into the warehouse while the other 6 dug down and quickly got in, located the Manticore soldiers and taking cover behind the huge command center.

Syl and Jesse stopped shooting, giving the Manticore soldiers an opportunity to come out of their hiding place, presenting a target for the transgenics to shoot at instead of blindly firing into the room. There was silence for about 2 minutes. No one was moving. But as soon as the first Manticore soldier got up from behind the desk he was hiding behind, Syl and Jesse opened fire again, killing the man. Within seconds everybody came out of their hiding spot and the air filled with bullets.

And just as soon as it had started it was over. Silence again. Syl and Jesse entered the warehouse, gun drawn. The other 6, unharmed TC soldiers, already moved around the room, checking if anyone was moving and still able to shoot. After locating the 5 Manticore soldiers and divesting them of their guns, they dragged them out of the warehouse and dropped them next to the 5 unconscious soldiers that lay outside in the grass.

"Good work." Lydecker said, studying the pile of unconscious and dead bodies.

"Oh. Look. Deck decided to join us." Syl said her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Lydecker gave her a hard look, then turned and addressed everybody. "Go in and check what progress they have made. Then destroy the equipment and all the evidences."

"And what are you doing while we do all the work?" Jesse asked, annoyed with Deck's arrogance.

"I'm having a little chat with director Renfro." Lydecker said and smiled. It wasn't a genuine smile. It was a sadistic smile that reminded Syl of her years at Manticore. A smile that showed her that Lydecker didn't just go in there to talk to Renfro. He wanted to kill her. She wouldn't stop him – but the thought still made her shiver.

**Mexico**

"God my back is killing me." Max said as she finally got out of the car after driving for 7 hours straight.

"Go stretch you legs a little. I'll go get something to eat. We can eat out here if you want to. The weather is great." Logan suggested.

"Sounds great. Hurry back." Max said and started run up the little hill to get rid of some of the excess energy. Logan sensed that Max needed some time to move, and so he took his time. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Then he ordered some food, bought a newspaper and some bottles of water and slowly made his way back to the car. His leg felt much better but he still struggled to carry everything to the car.

"Here let me help you." Max yelled and started running towards him. She took the heavy bottles from him and carried them to the car. Then she took a large blanket and spread it on the grass so they could eat.

"Tell me about Acapulco." Max said to Logan after taking a huge bite of her sandwich.

"I've never been there myself. But from what I know it's a great place. Long sandy beaches, water as clear as the sky. Not the sky in Seattle though. The sky in Acapulco. The sun always shines. It hardly rains and it's always warm. There are places with lots of tourists and nightlife. And then there are places where you can be all by yourself and have your peace." Logan explained enjoying his food.

"What are we gonna do there?" Max asked.

"I don't know how long we're gonna stay there. I guess at first we'll find a nice hotel. Near the beach. Then we're just gonna enjoy ourselves and have a much deserved vacation. How does that sound?" Logan answered, finishing his sandwich and moving closer to Max.

"Sounds perfect." Max said and lay down next to him, throwing an arm over his torso and caressing it softly.

"Mmmm. I could stay like this forever." Logan said as he wrapped an arm around Max and closed his eyes.

"Hey. We don't have time for a nap. Besides. You just slept in the car. It's your turn to drive." Max said and nudged him so he would open his eyes again.

"Where are we anyway?" Logan asked, realizing that he had no idea how far Max had come on her shift.

"We're just after Zumpango." Max informed him.

"Wherever that is." Logan smiled.

"We have about 9 hours to go. The way you drive probably 15." Max teased.

"Hey. I'm not that slow. I just don't have a deathwish." Logan defended himself.

"Whatever. I give you 10 more minutes to relax. Then it's time to go." Max said and got comfortable in Logan's arms.

"10 minutes. That's an awful long time. What do you suppose we could do with all that time?" Logan said as he turned Max on her back and, without waiting for a reply, kissed her passionately.

**Warehouse outside of ****Seattle**

Lydecker pressed the button to Renfro's private chambers and the doors slid open. He walked in slowly, a gun in his hand just in case. He closed the door behind him and turned on the lights.

There she was. Director Renfro. Sitting at her desk expecting someone to come in and not able to do anything. She was surprised to see Deck but hid it well.

"Lizzy. Good to see you." Lydecker said albeit without any sincerity in his voice.

"Deck. I wasn't expecting to see you." Renfro returned.

"Trooper 5. We checked the hotel. No signs of target. What's the next hotel? Over." Came a voice from one of the intercoms on a desk. They all looked at each other in confusion. Now what?

Jesse moved over to the desk and took the intercom. "Abort mission. Targets have been located and captured. Move out. Do you copy Trooper 5?" Jesse said in his best military manner.

"Copy sir. We will return to base." Trooper 5 answered and cut the connection.

"That was easy. Now let's do the same for the rest of the troopers and then blow this joint." Jesse said and moved to communicate the same to the rest of the troopers.

"What brings you here?" Renfro said and maneuvered her chair from behind her desk to approach Lydecker. She motioned with her head for him to sit and he sat down in the chair in front of her.

"I think you know why I'm here. Give it up Lizzy. You can't win. Game over." Deck said, holding her intense gaze.

"You have no idea what you're doing Deck. Think about it. If this project succeeds you can resume your position as a leader of an army. But this time it would be an army that won't disobey you. An army that won't question your orders. An army that wouldn't run away. An army that would give its life for you. You could be somebody again Deck." Renfro said, hoping she would spark his interest by offering him power and influence.

"I never wanted such an army. That wasn't what I was trying to achieve back at Manticore. I never wanted my kids to be machines. I never wanted them to be mindless, coldblooded killers. I wanted to prepare them as well as I could for all eventualities that could occur in a war. I wanted them to be intelligent, strong and efficient. I wanted them to be the best they could possibly be. To use their potential and their given genetics and make the best out of it. I don't want an army of look-alikes without personality who don't care if they die or not. That's not the way to win a war. If I have learned anything from my past mistakes it's that." Lydecker said disgusted by her offer and that she really thought he would accept.

"There won't be a lot of wars to win if my plan succeeds. There will only be worthy people left in this world. Worthy to live under my regime. Worthy to life in the new world. My world." Renfro tried again.

"Unfortunately most of them will look like you. And no offense Lizzy. But I wouldn't wanna life in a world like that." Lydecker remarked dryly and pulled out his gun.

"Are you that naïve to think that killing me would stop this from happening? Are you that dumb Donald?" Renfro said and tried to laugh, a move which her burned features didn't allow.

"I guess you'll never find out Lizzy." Deck said and shot her in the head.

"And this time you're not coming back." Deck said to the corpse in front of him, stored his gun away and left the room.

"Burn the place." He said to Syl and Jesse and walked out the door. Job done.

10 hours later

**Acapulco**** beach:**

It was early in the morning and, after driving all night, Logan and Max had finally arrived in Acapulco. It was Logan's turn to drive and, without thinking about it, he ended up pulling into the parking lot of the first beach he spotted.

He killed the engine, grabbed his cane and got out of the car. Max eagerly followed. They walked in silence to the nearest bench on the boardwalk and sat down. The sun began to rise and the air was fresh and smelled like salt and water and sand and freedom.

"God Logan this is beautiful." Max whispered and took his hand in hers. She had never seen anything as beautiful as this. The sun rose and the light reflected in the clear, blue water. The white sandy beach lay undisturbed in front of them. The only sound that was to hear was that of waves rolling in and breaking on the shore and the sound of seagulls flying unimpressed about the sky.

"Yeah. Beautiful. Never thought I'd be sitting here with you." Logan said and hugged her closer to him, treasuring this moment. Thanking the almighty that they had made it here alive.

"Let's never leave this place." Max said and couldn't remember when she had ever felt this happy, this complete in her life before.

"Would be a nice place to raise our kids, that's for sure." Logan said and smiled lovingly at her.

"Kids?" Max said, ripped out of her daydreaming after hearing his words.

"One is a lonely number Max." Logan said by way of explanation.

"We're not lonely anymore Logan." Max said and, tired of talking, pulled his head down to seal this perfect moment with a perfect kiss.

**Terminal****City**** Headquarters:**

"So Lydecker left?" Dix asked after Syl and Jesse told everybody what went down at the warehouse.

"Yep. Said he'd be back if this bitch isn't over yet." Syl replied.

"Well is it over yet suga?" Cindy asked, still in shock after hearing the whole story.

"Don't know. Deck thinks it is. Let's just wait and see." Jesse answered.

"Original Cindy don't trust this. She's staying here until she knows for sure, if that's aiight wit you." Cindy said, addressing the whole room.

"Stay as long as you want. You know you're always more than welcome here." Syl said and placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks. Appreciate it boo." Cindy said and leaned into the hug.

"So Lydecker just killed her?" Luke asked, still wanting more information.

"We haven't seen it. And you know Deck. He's not big on words. But yes. He shot her and we burned the place down. She's dead alright. Let's hope it stays that way this time." Jesse replied.

"What do you think Max and Logan are doing, now that they are safe?" Syl wondered out loud.

"Little fella and Logan getting busy." Joshua called from the back of the room which caused everybody to laugh hysterically. Though he could be right.

**Acapulco**

"Voila." Logan said as he opened the door to their hotel room. This time they hadn't settled for a cheap motel room. No, they had arrived at their destination and opted for a middle class room in a nice hotel with a great view of the beach and the Pacific.

"I'd carry you over the threshold but I think I'll save that for later." Logan said and let Max step in before going after her, closing the door and locking it.

"Don't worry Logan. This isn't our honeymoon." Max said, checking out their new quarters.

"Yet." Logan said and went to open the balcony door to let in some air. Max just smiled at that and sat down on the edge of the bed watching Logan.

"You think they worry about us back home?" Max asked while still eying Logan.

"Guess so. We should give them a call as soon as we can." He answered and turned around to look at her after having accomplished his task opening the doors.

"Let's not worry about anything and anybody for now Logan. We're finally here. We're finally alone. Let's forget about the world outside of this room." Max said smiling at him with so much love and desire in her eyes that Logan doubted there existed anything else in this world but her and him.

He made his way over to the bed where Max sat as fast as his cane allowed him to move. Once there he stopped in front of her. He threw his cane away without caring where it landed, and motioned for Max to get up.

She stood in front of him. He stood in front of her. They weren't touching just yet. They just stood there looking at each other. Then, as if something had snapped in her, Max reached over, grabbed Logan's shirt and ripped it open. She pulled it from him and carelessly threw it in the general direction the cane had gone.

"I need you Logan." She rasped and that was his undoing. He took a quick but shaky step toward her and pressed his lips on hers at the same time that she pressed her body against his. The kiss didn't start out soft and gentle and wasn't going in that direction any time soon. Lips sucked, teeth nibbled, tongues battled and all the while hands roamed and bodies pressed.

Sensing that Logan was having a hard time standing upright on just one leg, Max carefully pushed him down so they were laying on the bed with her on top. She didn't wait for Logan to help her out of her clothes; instead she ripped her shirt off of her body along with her bra.

Logan's hands flew to her breasts the second they were free of constraints, kneading them, caressing them. Max let out a groan when he started pulling on her nipples and attacked his pants. With shaky hands she unbuckled his belt and undid his button. It was a little tricky to pull the zipper over Logan's immense arousal, but somehow she managed and was frantically trying to pull down the pants when she remembered his leg. Trying to calm down a little, she managed to carefully remove the pants and his boxers without hurting him.

She knew that Logan loved to undress her. To kiss and caress every inch of skin he revealed. But right now all she wanted was to feel him inside her. So she pushed his hands aside, quickly shimmed out of her pants and panties and joined him back on the bed. Attacking his mouth with pent up passion and rubbing herself shamelessly against his hard body. She couldn't get enough of this. Couldn't get enough of him.

Logan felt the urgency of this moment too and wished he could spin her around and thrust into her over and over again. But his leg would allow only her on top so he grabbed her hips and positioned her over his errection. He pushed his hips upward, needing to be inside of her. He wanted to tell her that but Max's mouth was fused on his and he was lucky that he could still breathe let alone say anything.

Max noticed the urgent pressing of his hips and his strong grip on her hips and broke the kiss. She sat up, positioned herself over his errection and, while staring deep into his eyes, slowly sank down on him. That was it. That was heaven. They both let out satisfied groans. But it wasn't enough. Not nearly.

Logan sat up, needing to feel her skin on his, while Max build up a steady rhythm moving up and down on him. His hands left her hips to caress her back while his mouth moved down to her breasts, kissing, licking and occasionally biting.

Max sped up her movements clutching his back with one hand while pressing his mouth to her breasts with the other hand. Nothing in this world felt better than having Logan buried deep within her and his mouth working wonders on her breasts.

Logan knew he wouldn't last much longer. The intensity of their love making was too incredible and too stimulating. He braced one hand on the bed so he could thrust up to meet her moving hips while he bit her nipple hard. That did it for her and Max screamed out, lost in her climax, lost in Logan. Hearing her scream out in ecstasy was enough to send Logan over the edge too.

He stopped thrusting up and brought his arms around her while she rode out her climax, still grinding and circling her hips slowly. After a minute her movements stopped and Logan lay down on the bed, taking Max with him by keeping his strong arms wrapped around her.

He closed his eyes and listened to their pounding heartbeats and their heavy breathing. Never had it been this good. They lay still for a few minutes until they regained the strength and the breath to speak again. But neither could come up with anything to say that would come close to express how happy, how content and how loved they felt. So they were quiet. Holding each other while the sea breeze cooled their sweaty bodies and the sound of the ocean lulled them to sleep.

Free at last.

THE END

_AN: This is the end my friends. Do me a favor and drop a review just so I know you have finished this fic with me. In case you have a dysfunctional family just like I have, I hope reading this will cheer you up a bit. I sure will use the time my family fights this year around the Christmas tree to write another 'Facing death' chapter. That's what is cheering me up. So merry Christmas everybody. Thanks for reading. I do really love you. No kidding._

_Lfbrox_


End file.
